Tamblin Demosthene and the Harlequin Accord
by Tlalcopan
Summary: The second Tamblin Demosthene story. Discovery the secret of why Tamblin goes unnoticed and follow along on as his past makes a turbulent year at Hogwarts much more chaotic. first tamblin story here: /s/12203975/1/Tamblin-Demosthene-and-the-Artiste-s-Alcove
1. Chapter 1

**Tamblin Demosthene and the Harlequin Accord**

Tamblin sealed the note and handed it to Vlora. The house elf immediately bounded out of the room to send the letter by owl. Even though he'd see his friend Cascata later that day at Hogwarts he'd taken the time to pen a quick note to send her. He'd promised to write often when he left the year before and he meant to fulfill that duty.

His summer had been rushed and chaotic. Vlora was able to maintain the house and grounds adequately in his absence but many of the larger estate tasks involve muggles. For those matters Tamblin had to be on hand. His summer had dissolved into hours of signing papers and cheques, as well as endless meetings with accountants, auditors, managers, and lawyers. He found time, when he could, to write to Cascata although he felt he had little to say.

Still it was important to him to try. She was his best friend. Just a year ago he had nobody he could truly call a friend. Vlora looked after him and doubtlessly cared for him as house elves are wont to do, but she was still a servant. His father had died nearly seven years ago. His mother had gone shortly afterward. He wasn't sure what had happened to her, not really. Mostly he never thought about it, but Professor Dumbledore had implied that his mother's history might be important.

A year ago he had no friends, although he wanted for nothing. The Demosthene estates were substantial. When his father had moved to England from Romania he'd bought a significant mansion and grounds, and of course the family estates in other lands were still intact.

A year ago he had had no friends, and now he had three. Cascata was the first and the dearest to him, but through her he'd become first indulgent, and then fond, of Susan and Hannah.

And who did Cascata have? She'd been abandoned by her family. She had shelter at Hogwarts certainly. Dumbledore had made it clear that, since her father had asked, she could stay on the grounds. Still the indignity of it rankled him.

Due to their frequent contact with muggles, the Demosthenes traditionally didn't have the same active dislike for them that many other pureblood families did. Tamblin considered them unfortunate in a sense, but not actually inferior. Still there _were_ exceptions, and when he thought of Cascata's father he felt an icy fury.

The man had cast out his own child because she happened to have a talent he lacked. Cascata had defended her father by saying she thought her abilities reminded him too much of her deceased witch mother. Hearing her defend him only made Tamblin angrier. He had no right being defended by the daughter he cast aside.

The letters helped to ease his anger, and his guilt. He'd known about her home situation ever since last Christmas and yet he'd let it slip his mind; until he and Susan and Hannah had left to catch the train from Hogwarts home at the end of the year...and Cascata hadn't. Cascata replied often and in her missives she sounded typically energetic. She was spending a lot of time outside she said, although she never seemed to say exactly what she did. Tamblin assumed she simply was lounging around. Other children seemed to do that. He, on the other hand, had a stack of reports to certify as having read and accepted before he left to catch the Hogwarts Express at 11.

He'd also managed to send a note to Susan and Hannah, although he cheated a bit and just wrote one letter and had Vlora copy it and send one copy to each of them. He'd gotten a short note back from Hannah but not from Susan. Frankly that was fine; he didn't have the time to maintain ongoing correspondence with all three or even two of the three. If he had to pick one it was going to be Cascata.

She'd become his first friend. She'd gotten him to become part of the school and to interact at least a little with the people in it. She'd been his co-conspirator in finding and opening the Artiste's Alcove. She'd even saved his life.

He shook himself out of his reverie. He had to finished the paperwork so he could get to the train.


	2. Chapter 2

On Platform Nine and Three-Quarters he found a quiet corner in which to stand. Nobody seemed to notice him, as usual. Few people ever seemed to notice him if he didn't call attention to himself. Teachers almost never called on him. Cascata was one of the few who really _saw_ him. Dumbledore did too. Even Susan and Hannah only noticed him because he was brought to their attention by Cascata. Now that they had been around him a fair amount though they seemed to see him a bit easier.

Tamblin glanced around to see if anybody seemed to be watching him. He knew he wouldn't find anyone paying him any attention, he usually could feel it when he was being watched. Sometimes he could even tell who it was by how it felt. With Dumbledore and Quirrell he'd felt a vague nausea. Mrs. Norris, the wretched caretaker's cat, sometimes would notice Tamblin and it felt more like the tickle before a sneeze. Lighter, but in some ways more annoying. With Cascata it seemed more like a warm flush that passed through him when she turned those big dark eyes toward him.

The station buzzed with noise. Tamblin shrank back into his quiet corner. He listened to the voices all superimposed on top of each other. He couldn't pick out individual threads of conversation, but he wasn't trying to. Instead he closed his eyes and tried to sense the noise as a whole; a mass of intention and attention generated by those on the platform. It was fleeting but sometimes he could feel it. It was like a cloud with lightning bolts flying back and forth. He felt the cloud expand to engulf him- someone was looking for him or noticing him. Sure enough a moment later he felt a bolt of attention strike him and he opened his eyes. Through the crowd he could see Susan looking right at him.

She started to smile but then stopped. Tamblin realized he was glaring. He let his features relax and forced a smile. It wasn't Susan's fault that she had noticed him when he had sought solitude.

Not surprisingly Hannah was following Susan's lead. She smiled as Susan broke them a path through the platform toward Tamblin. Susan meanwhile had a slightly concerned look on her face.

Tamblin decided to take the initiative as they got close.

"Susan, Hannah, you are both looking well. I hope your summers were pleasant."

"Hi, Tamblin," said Hannah with enthusiasm.

"Hey, Tamblin. I'm sorry I didn't write-" Susan started.

Tamblin waved a hand dismissively.

"Not a problem; my summer was far too busy as it was," he replied, honestly.

Susan still looked concerned.

"Are you sure?"

Despite how headstrong she was, Susan seemed genuinely concerned she had hurt his feelings. Hannah just looked slightly confused at the exchange.

"I'm sure. I'm sorry I didn't look pleased to see you at first. I was thinking about Cascata being stuck at school. It's a topic that has upset me of late."

This then was something the girls would accept. Their loyalty to Cascata, and each other, was fierce. And they had shown significant loyalty to Tamblin based on Cascata's approval. He'd found that it was a gift, one he had not expected and he felt ill prepared to appropriately recompense. He'd helped them a bit with their studies but that was all.

He realized that Hannah and Susan were already launching into a detailed description of their summer activities. He listened half-heartedly. While he did like both girls, he found they could talk endlessly about the most mundane topics.

He shivered slightly. Someone else was watching him. Slowly he turned his head. The sensation passed as he looked toward the source, but he could see Theodore Nott sitting upon a trunk and reading a book. Those deceptively innocent eyes flicked up as Tamblin watched. Nott inclined his head slightly toward Tamblin and went back to his page.


	3. Chapter 3

The trip to Hogwarts was far more comfortable this year. He sat in a compartment with Susan and Hannah and several other Hufflepuffs. Justin Finch-Fletchley waved to Tamblin when he saw him. Other than that the boys and girls were content to ignore him and converse loudly amongst themselves. When the trolley arrived he bought treats for the whole compartment as family tradition dictated. At the station they were conveyed by horseless carriages to the castle. This was a great relief as Tamblin didn't much care for travel by boat. Similarly the sorting ceremony was far more pleasant when Tamblin was not up there exposed to the eyes of the entire school.

The only discomfort came when Lisa Turpin chose to sit next to him. Lisa was in his year and seemed a decent enough sort, but last year they had exchanged no more than three or four words in total. During the feast, though, she kept trying to engage him in conversation.

"...don't you think?"

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Tamblin asked for the fourth time.

"I said it looks like we got some of the best students sorted into Ravenclaw. Don't you think?"

Tamblin looked at the terrified new students who had come to sit at the Ravenclaw table.

"Sure."

"Do you think we'll be able to win the Quidditch cup again this year?"

She had a slightly guarded manner. It made her intentions hard to read. Her brown hair was pulled up, unlike how she wore it last year. This way it was easier to see her eyes were a blue-green.

"Sure," Tamblin said as he looked once again across the hall at the Hufflepuff table. He could see Cascata there between Susan and Hannah. There had been no chance to catch up before the feast. She looked over at Tamblin several times and smiled. Although he thought he noticed a slight dim to her beaming each time.

"What did you say?" he asked Lisa mechanically.

"I said, 'you really think so?' about the Cup."

He looked at her blankly.

Lisa sighed.

"The _Quidditch_ Cup."

He just nodded his head.

"I'm finished here so I'm going to go."

She smiled, "yeah. Nice... talking... to you."

Tamblin made his way out of the Great Hall. It was true that he had finished his meal before Lisa had finished exploring the _fascinating_ questions of Quidditch tourneys. Tamblin never seemed to eat or sleep as much as the others. It had led him to have a great deal of free time. Last year he'd spent most of that time wandering the school and grounds after everyone else had gone to sleep. Just now though he only intended to move out of the noisy Great Hall into the castle entrance hall and wait for Cascata to finish up so he could talk to her before it was time to turn in.

A few minutes later she emerged from the Great Hall and looked around for a second before spotting him halfway up the staircase. Tamblin stood up as she rushed up the steps. Cascata threw her arms around him as she reached him and almost bowled him over. He enjoyed the embrace, something he could not have imagined doing a year ago. She drew back and was biting her lip slightly.

"You look very tan," he said. "You really have been getting a lot of sun."

"Well I could only spend so much time with the house elves, after all," she said.

"And what have you been doing?" he asked with mock sternness.

"None of your business," she smiled.

Tamblin noticed she was openly wearing the necklace he'd given her for Christmas last year. Her father had not bothered to send her any presents, and so Tamblin had brought her a necklace from his family's estates. It was a minor piece really, a bauble with historical value certainly, but she had treasured it as if it was the most precious thing she owned. Maybe it was. Still she'd been too self conscious to wear it openly previously. Instead the star sapphire and obsidian set in gold had been hidden carefully under her robes.

He reached out slightly to touch the necklace. She noticed and blushed a bit.

"Yeah, I figured I really should actually wear it. You know... out. You should have heard the grilling Susan and Hannah gave me over it." She laughed. "I told them a centaur from the forest made it for me after I had made friends with their tribe."

"You didn't."

"I did. I didn't want them to know you'd given it to me."

"No?"

"No," she shrugged slightly. "Not yet. I'm sure I can milk this for at least a couple weeks before they really suspect something."

Tamblin chuckled. Then the mood seemed to sober.

"How are you doing, really?" he asked softly.

She had her head tipped down but her eyes tilted up to look at his.

"I'm okay, Tamblin," she squeezed his arm. "Really."

"Have you been back to the Alcove?"

"A few times. It's not the same. You know... without you."

He was quiet for a while.

"Well I'm here now."

"Yep, sure are. Whole new school year. So when is our first study session?"

"Oh no, no more study sessions," he protested.

"Oh, yes, there will be."

"Nope, not for me. You couldn't drag me back into that classroom," he said.

"You'll do it and you'll like it. You know why?"

"No, why?"

She looked up at him again and this time there were bright tears in her eyes.

Tamblin gaped.

"You-you learned how to cry? On purpose? When you want to? What a mean dirty trick."

She smiled, "be on time for the study sessions. I'll post a schedule."

He smiled. He had every intention of helping all three of them as he could. They were all fairly smart, but in most subjects Tamblin was near the top of the class.

Cascata's voice sounded strangely nonchalant, "so what were you talking about?"

"Huh?"

"Talking about. You. What was it?"

"When?"

"At the feast."

Tamblin stared a second.

"I didn't say anything to you at the feast."

"Not me, that girl."

"Girl?"

"Yeah, the girl you were talking to. If you don't _want_ to tell me for some reason that's fine."

Tamblin stared another second.

"You mean... Lisa?"

She nodded, "uh-hunh."

"And you want to know what we were talking about?"

"Nothing's getting past you this year."

"Uh, she was talking about... sports... or something. I don't really recall."

"Hrrm."

There was a loud commotion in the Great Hall. It sounded as though the Prefects were leading the first years out.

Cascata gave him a quick hug.

"I'll see you tomorrow. Thank you for the letters."

With that she whirled and bounded down the stairs. Tamblin had somehow forgotten her tendency to confuse him at random times. He stood there, still halfway up the flight of steps as the first year Gryffindors and Ravenclaws filed past him on their way to their respective dormitories. Eventually he turned and made his own way up to the Ravenclaw Tower.


	4. Chapter 4

Routine descended upon the school with a vengeance. Their class schedules were quite similar to the first year. Including, much to Tamblin's disgust, double Herbology. He doubted Professor Sprout would let him slide this year if he didn't make a much more sincere effort not to cut class. It was just so hard though, he thought as he trudged out to the filthy greenhouses. The tendency of people not to notice him made it childishly simple to sneak out after the teacher checked the roll. In the classes that Ravenclaws had with Hufflepuffs he'd stay because Cascata was there. But Herbology was with the Slytherins. And the only member of that house he really knew at all was-

He felt a small chill. He looked to his left and Nott was there watching Sprout.

"Good morning, Demosthene."

"And you, Nott," Tamblin said.

There were certain rules. In private they might be more informal and refer to each other by first name. Here in public, though, etiquette required more formality from scions of the elite wizard families.

The class began and Tamblin stayed throughout. He felt it would be somewhat churlish to leave when he suspected Nott would see him go. Tamblin felt a certain affinity with Nott due to their similar social station and upbringing.

"It's more than that," Tamblin thought as he looked across the room at Malfoy, surrounded by servile fellow Slytherins.

The Malfoys were another elite wizarding family, and yet Tamblin found the boy Draco to be tremendously uninteresting. He was vulgar in the sense of being ostentatious and obvious in his appetites. Domineering toward his peers and ingratiating toward his superiors.

"Malfoy is preening for his sycophants again," Nott remarked casually.

Tamblin looked over at Nott who was looking back at him. Tamblin nodded.

"Pathetic isn't it," Nott said. "A pawn surrounding himself with still lesser pawns. Desperate to manipulate and easy to use. Malfoy is the worst in us."

Tamblin listened to Nott's words for his real meaning and it occurred to him it was like watching the ripples on a lake and trying to guess what submerged beast had made them.

"He knows only the relationship of servant and master, and he can't even do that with any flair," Nott said.

"Would it be better if he did have some flair?"

Nott smiled.

"A sense of style excuses a great deal. If you must lie, must cheat, must harm, then do so with an eye toward the audience."

"Ripples," Tamblin thought and looked back toward Professor Sprout.


	5. Chapter 5

After Transfiguration on Friday Tamblin sat in the classroom with Cascata, Hannah, and Susan discussing the week.

"I think it looks to be a good year," Cascata said.

Tamblin asked, "So do we want to have a study session this weekend?"

Hannah started to smile but both Cascata and Susan frowned.

"It's only the first week," Susan said.

Cascata followed quickly, "Yeah, I think we should wait a bit."

Hannah started to fret.

"But we want to get a good start and really stay on top of things this year. I mean I know I need to at least."

Cascata turned slightly red.

"I...can't."

There was a note of great hesitation in her voice so that all three of her friends stared at her with much interest and no little suspicion.

"I just can't this weekend."

"Why is that?" Susan asked.

Cascata held up her book in front of her chest and bit her lip. She looked around quickly to make sure no one else was nearby, but the other students and McGonagal had already departed, so they had a measure of privacy.

"Okay, promise you won't laugh or I won't tell you."

All three of them nodded but Cascata stared hard at Tamblin as he did so.

"All right. I'm going to try out for Quidditch and the tryout is this Saturday. They have to have the team picked by the end of the first month."

Hannah and Susan squealed delightedly and hugged Cascata.

She looked at Tamblin. He got the impression he was required to say something.

"Okay," he said and smiled weakly.

Now it was his turn to be stared at by three friends.

"I mean...um...'yay.'"

Susan rolled her eyes and turned back to Cascata.

"That's wonderful. I know you'd make a great Chaser. Or are you trying out for Keeper?"

Cascata looked even more uncomfortable now.

"Well that's the thing, actually. I never even saw Quidditch before coming here. My dad..." She trailed off but her friends knew her dad was a muggle and not fond of the wizard world.

Hannah reached out and squeezed Cascata's arm in sympathy.

"...anyway so I've never played before. I practiced all summer but I didn't really have anyone to practice with so the only positions I could really practice were seeker and beater."

Tamblin wasn't following any of this but he wanted to seem interested.

"So?" he asked.

Susan sent him a withering glance and he gave up on figuring out what he was supposed to do.

Cascata continued on, eyes firmly fixed on the floor.

"Sasha's the Seeker, and team Captain, and this is her last year so there's no way she'd replace herself with me. So I practiced playing Beater."

Tamblin had no idea what this meant but both Susan and Hannah now looked uncomfortable.

"Oh, beater. Well that's... nice... too," Hannah stammered.

"Cassie, honey," Susan started, "are you sure that beater is a good idea?"

Cascata started to respond when Tamblin interrupted.

"Why wouldn't it be okay?" Tamblin asked.

For this Cascata smiled at him. Nobody said anything. Cascata beamed while Susan and Hannah shifted uncomfortably.

"No, really, why wouldn't it be okay?"

Cascata's smile faded when she realized it was an honest question and not a statement of confidence in her.

Hannah said, "It's just that the Beaters have to hit the Bludgers. A lot. They usually pick the very biggest students to be Beaters."

Tamblin looked over at the diminutive Cascata. She was petite enough to easily look like she was still a first year.

"I've practiced a lot this summer. I can hit the Bludgers okay. But... my style is a bit different than the ones I've seen in the books in the library."

"How so?" Hannah asked.

"You'll see. You'll be at the tryout, right?"

Hannah and Susan both nodded vigorously. All three turned toward Tamblin and he felt under inspection again.

"Yeah, sure I can come, if they aren't closed to people from other houses."

"Don't be silly," Hannah said, "lots of people show up to watch the tryouts for each house."

"Oh good," Tamblin said without enthusiasm.


	6. Chapter 6

It looked like the entire Hufflepuff house had shown up for the Quidditch try out. The current team and the hopefuls were on the field while the spectators and well wishers lined the stands. A few members of other houses had shown up as well. An older Gryffindor boy watched the proceedings intently while making small notes. Opposite him a small knot of Slytherins shouted and jeered the Hufflepuffs on the field.

Tamblin had resigned himself to spending all day watching the tryouts. It's not that he wasn't supportive of Cascata, it was just that Quidditch held absolutely no interest for him. He had no idea what was going on nor did he particularly care except in so much that Cascata was likely to either be disappointed if she didn't make the team or to be quite busy this year if she did. Neither proposition appealed to Tamblin in the slightest.

Hannah and Susan insisted on sitting as close to the front of the stands as they could and Tamblin figured he was better off sitting near them. Not long after he sat down next to them he felt a small tap on his shoulder. It was Lisa Turpin in a very warm looking blue lined cloak.

"Hi, Tamblin. Can I sit here?"

"Yes, of course. What are you doing here?" Until Lisa had shown up he had been the only Ravenclaw in attendance.

Lisa shrugged slightly.

"Oh, you know, just seeing the competition. I really want Ravenclaw to win again this year. The Hufflepuffs might not be the strongest team, but they've been getting better. Depending on who they get this year to replace the ones who graduated last year, well you know..."

Tamblin didn't but chose not to prolong the topic by saying so.

He looked over at Susan and Hannah but they seemed to be deliberately looking away. A small shout went up from the crowd as a beautiful tall blond girl got on her broom and flew toward the Hufflepuff hopefuls.

Lisa leaned towards Tamblin and said, "Oh looks like Sasha is ready to start."

"Sasha?"

Lisa looked at him sort of funny.

"Yeah, Sasha Hale. She's the Hufflepuff Captain and Seeker. You don't recognize her?"

"I don't know anything about the game, Lisa."

Lisa looked at him like he'd just made some bizarre joke. Then she smiled.

"Oh really? Well don't worry, I'll tell you everything you need to know."

"Oh, good."

"Sasha's the seeker, which means she tries to catch the snitch. She's not the best seeker out there but she's not as bad as some say." Lisa's head nodded toward the Slytherins.

"She's also the Captain, so she decides who is on the team and sets training schedules and everything. A lot of people think she's just too nice to be a good captain. She doesn't drive her team like others. See Wood over there?" Lisa pointed toward the Gryffindor boy.

"He's the Gryffindor Captain. Real slave driver from what I hear, but it works."

Sasha was talking to the hopefuls out on the field including Cascata. Tamblin couldn't make out what she was saying especially over Lisa's chatter, but the people began to break up into groups.

"Ah, see the Hufflepuffs have to replace a beater, a chaser, and a keeper this year. Looks like she's having them break up into groups by the position they are trying out for."

Tamblin looked for Cascata and at first couldn't see her. He turned toward Susan.

"Do you see Cascata?" he whispered to her.

Susan didn't respond and was still looking away from him. He frowned and turned back to Lisa.

"Hey, isn't that your friend?" she said.

"Where?"

Lisa pointed. Tamblin looked and saw Cascata. She was dwarfed by the rest of her group; three big boys that must have been at least fifth years, and one girl who also loomed over Cascata. Lisa looked over at Tamblin incredulously.

"She's trying out for Beater?"

"Yeah. She said she practiced all summer."

"Well... good luck to her."

The Beater tryout was the last. Tamblin sat glassy-eyed through endless tryouts for 'chasers' and 'keepers' while Lisa told him everything he never wanted to know about the teams, the game rules, individual players, and play styles. Meanwhile Susan and Hannah continued to ignore him.

The last keeper hopeful landed after his tryout. Sasha thanked all of the contenders and then flew over to the end of the pitch. She waved her wand and a man sized dummy emerged. The dummy was clothed in a crude Gryffindor jersey and appeared to be made of stuffed hay and a wooden frame. She produced another in a Slytherin jersey and finally one in a Ravenclaw jersey.

Lisa was smiling.

"What?" Tamblin asked.

"Oh, it's just a clever way to test potential Beaters. She's going to...yep there they go!"

Two large metal balls shot up into the air and began to cruise around the pitch.

As Tamblin watched, it became pretty clear that a Beater was supposed to hit things. Hard. Specifically they'd hit the metal balls with a thick sturdy club and try to get it to hit one of the dummies. Lisa told him that in a real game they'd actually try to hit the other team's players rather than a dummy.

The first Beater hopeful was a slightly chunky tall boy. He certainly walloped the bludgers, but after a successful hit on the Gryffindor dummy the other bludger caught him in the side and he had to land in obvious pain. He limped off the field toward the castle with some help from a couple other Hufflepuffs.

Tamblin was disturbed that Cascata wanted to do _that_.

The second boy was better. He scored several hits on the dummies including taking the arm off of the Ravenclaw. After each hit one of the Hufflepuff team members ran out to quickly stand the dummy back up. The other girl went next, and she did about as well as the second boy. The last boy was the worst so far. The crowd was getting fairly tired at this point and his performance increased the steady stream of students heading back toward the castle for dinner.

Cascata was the last one left to try out. When she got on her broom the few remaining Slytherin jeered loudly. There were even a few quiet laughs from the Hufflepuff crowd.

"Here we go," Lisa said and leaned forward.

As soon as she was off the ground the Bludgers started after her. One of them hurtled right through where she should have been. She'd leaned far to the left so that she rolled around in a circle. The bludger flew through empty air above her while she was upside down. As soon as she was upright again she launched herself high up into the air.

The crowd started to murmur. All the other Beaters had flown fairly low to the ground. People squinted and looked at the small speck Cascata made on her broom. For a second everybody held their breath; then she hurtled out of the sky at a terrifying speed. A bludger started to turn toward her as she came down, but it looked like it was hardly moving compared to her. Tamblin couldn't see the club, but there was a sound like thunder and the bludger disappeared. A six foot long trench appeared next to the Gryffindor dummy and a second later the bludger flew up out of it, wobbling slightly.

Cascata was already speeding back up into the air.

"Wow, she's good," Lisa said. "You see what she'd doing? She's not as big as the other Beaters, so instead of stopping and hitting a bludger she's using the speed of the broom to hit them a lot harder. I don't think I've seen a similar style. Maybe Junichiro from the Toyohasi Tengu. Gosh, I don't know how she manages to see the bludger at that speed though."

Tamblin had no idea. His own experiences with brooms had been spectacularly unsuccessful.

Time and again she swooped down on the bludgers. She never failed to hit them and send them flying, but the actual accuracy of her strikes wasn't the greatest. Still the crowd got excited at the unexpected display and began to cheer. The one real hit she got plowed into the Slytherin dummy hard enough that it exploded into a cloud of straw and wood. A huge cheer went up from the crowd.

At Sasha's signal Cascata landed and got off her broom. People were cheering and clapping. Cascata headed toward the changing room fairly glowing with pride. The other Hufflepuff team members were rounding up the Bludgers. Lisa stood up.

"Well this was fun. I'll see you in class. Bye, Tamblin."

"Goodbye, Lisa."

Tamblin looked over but Hannah and Susan were already making their way toward the exit from the changing room. As he wondered at their sudden coolness he felt a growing anger. Why couldn't they just be normal? Why was everything always so complicated? Were all friends like this? His anger was a cold and smooth thing, not the turbulent rage others seemed to feel at times.

On impulse he started to follow them. As he did so he felt a stillness spread through him. It seemed like the noise of his heart faded and receded. His breathing became silent. He could feel himself withdraw from his surroundings. He was becoming harder to see, harder to notice, he could feel it. He knew those around him had no idea he was there even if they looked right at him. He simply wouldn't register in their senses.

He followed Hannah and Susan at a short distance. As they approached the changing room he swept around a corner where he was near but not directly in view. He didn't trust that he could fool Cascata. She was very good at seeing him and he did not want to be seen. Instinctively he found the deepest shadow and the stance that made him least obtrusive to any who'd pass by.

He felt Cascata come out of the dressing room even though he couldn't see her. It was like a search light sweeping out across the area. A part of him hated the keenness of her perception. He waited a moment and became as still as possible within. Then he moved out from his shelter to follow behind the girls without their knowing.

Cascata was flushed and obviously tired from her exertions. Her voice was filled with joy though. The sound cut into Tamblin a bit and he felt some guilt at shadowing them. The ease of it surprised him though. He felt like he was floating over the ground. The less he thought about it the more surely he chose the quietest path. Susan paused and looked back behind her. Tamblin looked straight into her eyes and saw no recognition. A fierce joy filled him.

"...what he was doing? I mean inviting her?"

Cascata interrupted, "It's okay. I don't mind."

"But this was a special day for you," Hannah said. "And you did so great. Why'd he ruin it like that?"

"Really it's not a big deal. It doesn't mean anything."

Susan stopped and looked at Cascata.

"Come on Cassie, we know you like him. It was bad enough he was talking to that..."

"He's my friend."

Tamblin remembered a similar statement from Cascata last year. Then she'd been defending Tamblin too. Susan and Hannah had thought him an oddity. Based on the strength of her recommendation they'd both given Tamblin a chance to be their friend. Back then Cascata had made the point forcefully, now it was different. Softer.

Hannah gave her a quick hug.

Cascata said, "He's sweet and smart, but really kind of clueless. He doesn't think about things like that. I'm sure it didn't mean anything. He probably has no idea anything is wrong."

"Well, he might," Susan grumbled.

"What do you mean?" Cascata said.

"Well, after we saw he invited Lisa to sit with him we kind of gave him a cold shoulder."

Hannah added, "It just seemed so mean to flaunt that in front of you when you should have been focusing on the try out. Oh, but you did _really_ good anyway. Yea!"

Cascata groaned.

"Look I could hardly see anyone from out there. I really wish you hadn't done anything. Now I have to try and explain why you two were cold to him without telling him why."

Susan said, "You should tell him why. _I_ would."

"Susan, I said he was a bit clueless, not a total idiot. If I tell him he's not supposed to talk to other girls he's going to get an idea why. I know you were trying to stick up for me but...oh never mind. I'll think of something..."

Tamblin slowed and let them get further and further ahead. The lights of the castle were getting close and the last place he wanted to be was in there. It was full of light and people. Out here was much better. He wasn't hungry for dinner; he never was when he was unseen. He turned in the gathering gloom and headed toward the beckoning forest.


	7. Chapter 7

The rest of the night was a blur. He'd gone into the Forbidden Forest. Deep into it. He'd abandoned himself to the feeling of being invisible. He'd flitted from tree to tree and crouched in shadows as he watched the denizens of the forest. He pursued the centaurs and thrilled at it. They could tell something was there but they couldn't find him. He stood feet away from a brutal-looking mare. She wore a brace of arrows and twisted her hands around her bow in frustration. She could tell something was out of place.

Tamblin crept closer until he could feel the heat coming off the centaur's body. Slowly and carefully he reached out and withdrew an arrow from the brace on the centaur's side. Her feet stamped the ground and she shook her head but he went unseen.

When the sky started to lighten before dawn he threaded his way back to the castle.


	8. Chapter 8

Tamblin was in the Artiste's Alcove looking at some of Phausto's work when Cascata tumbled in through the Erewhon book that was the magic doorway between the alcove and the rest of the castle.

As she stood up she beamed at him.

"Hi, Tamblin! I've been looking for you."

Tamblin felt like an alien in his own mind. He knew how he should feel and react, but he couldn't make it happen. Instead he heard his voice mix a slight surprise and curiosity as he said simply, "oh?"

"Yeah. I wanted the thank you for coming to the try out yesterday. I know Quidditch isn't your thing, but it was nice to have some friendly faces in the crowd."

"You did quite well, from what I could tell."

She smiled.

"Thanks."

"Here."

He tossed something to her and she caught it in both hands.

She looked at the sharpened flint with confusion.

"What is... is this an arrowhead?"

"Yes."

Her brows furrowed more.

"Why give it to me?"

"A souvenir."

"Um, okay, thanks." She took a deep breath. "Oh, you wouldn't believe how nervous Hannah and Susan were about the try out. They tried to put up a good front but they were convinced I was going to get pulverized. They said the whole time I was out there they were freaked out. Anyway, sorry if they seemed all weirded out."

Tamblin smiled slightly.

"Really? Hadn't noticed."

Cascata smiled. "Oh, really? Well, never mind then. Not a big deal."

"Of course."

Like the centaur, Cascata seemed to sense on a basic level that something wasn't right, but didn't know what it was.

"Well, okay. I'm glad things are... well, that everything went well. You know. I better get back to the common room. I don't know when they are going to announce the results. Probably won't be today, but you never know."

"Indeed. You _never_ know."

"Bye." she said and turned. Before she touched Erewhon again to leave she looked over her shoulder one more time at Tamblin who smiled without warmth.

He spent several more hours brooding in the alcove before emerging to get something to eat. His appetite had finally resurfaced.


	9. Chapter 9

While he was eating, an owl landed on the table in front of him. It was a message from Dumbledore. He'd been expecting it to come sooner or later. Last year Dumbledore had indicated they would discuss his _situation_ more later. Tamblin felt a certain gnawing annoyance at the way Dumbledore doled out this knowledge at his own convenience.

"What is wrong with me," Tamblin thought." This isn't like me."

Trying to shake the feeling of resentment, Tamblin climbed the stairs from the first floor up to Dumbledore's office.

"Lemon drops," he said to the gargoyle. Before he ascended the stairs though he tried to withdraw as much as possible. Dumbledore had sensed his approach previously. Tamblin wanted to know if he still would.

He moved onto the moving staircase and held very still. It delivered him to the door. Tamblin didn't move. He waited several minutes. No voice came from within beckoning him to enter. He could feel the faintest traces of the slight nausea he usually felt when Dumbledore saw him.

"I can stand on the threshold of your sanctum without you knowing," Tamblin thought.

Very slowly so as not to break the stillness, he raised his hand to the door. When he knocked it was like a stretched bit of rubber snapping back. The stillness was broken and he could feel Dumbledore's awareness focus on him. Tamblin treasured the knowledge of the moment before deep within himself.

"Please come in."

Tamblin opened the door and entered the familiar office. Dumbledore was watching him carefully as he sat down in the opposite chair.

"I think it's time we talked more about you, Tamblin."

"And my mother."

"Yes, and your mother. Tell me, Tamblin, did you wonder why I singled out your mother as important to this topic?"

Tamblin shook his head slightly but didn't take his eyes off Dumbledore.

"I remember every student I ever taught, Tamblin. Your mother was here when I was Transfiguration teacher. But I don't remember her. It is only the suspicious absence of her that made me realize she existed at all. Everything since then has been painfully reconstructed. She is gone. Utterly."

"I don't understand."

"I mean there are no records left of her. Even pictures."

"What?"

"Pictures that should have her in them show no one there, Tamblin."

Tamblin leaned forward.

"There's an empty portrait at home. I always thought that the subject had moved to a different frame. But..."

"Yes, Tamblin, most likely it was a picture of your mother. I have spent a great deal of time exploring this mystery. When I try hard... very hard... I can almost remember her. And I have made use of certain memory magics to help me remember. Why is she gone, Tamblin?"

"How should I know?"

Dumbledore was watching him carefully.

"Your mother was taught some magic that is very obscure. Only a handful of people in this part of the world learned it. It was brought here from a far land and I believe it was rare even there."

"Why was it brought here?" Despite himself the historic aspects of the subject fascinated him.

"Ah, well in order for us to discuss that we must brush on less than pleasant topics. Your mother, I'm afraid, was involved with a rather bad crowd, Tamblin."

"Voldemort."

Dumbledore's eyes glittered intensely.

"Yes. I wasn't sure if you knew."

"My father was murdered by the Ministry because he was a supporter of Voldemort. Later they admitted they had no proof."

"Not quite. Later the proof _disappeared_. It was taken from the Ministry of Magic right out from under the noses of a dozen Aurors."

"By my mother..."

Dumbledore nodded.

"How do you know this?"

"I'm on the Wizengamot, Tamblin. I saw the evidence against your father. He wasn't a Death Eater, but he was a supporter of Voldemort. I am very sorry he died during apprehension."

"Would I have been better off with him in Azkaban?"

"That your mother took the evidence to clear her husband's name and embarrass the Ministry is a strongly supported conjecture."

"Before she disappeared for good."

"As you say, before she disappeared. Tamblin, Voldemort was a very cunning and ruthless wizard. He spent many years exploring aspects of magic that even I know little about. Somewhere along the way he learned about this form. It wasn't something he could use himself. But he cultivated a few appropriate followers and he taught it to them."

"Assassins."

"No. Not assassins. Your mother, and the ones like her, they were thieves and spies but not killers."

"How can you be sure of that?"

"I am not an expert on this magic, but one thing I am quite certain of is that it relies on subtlety. It is an art of invisibility, of stealth. The act of murder is the most unsubtle act possible. It destroys the power. Permanently. That's why Voldemort couldn't use it himself. His invisibles were useful tools to him in other ways. There were rumors but it wasn't until you came to my attention that we had any proof they actually existed."

"So what about me? You think Voldemort taught me?"

"Voldemort disappeared when you were just a baby, Tamblin. But his influence continues in various ways. Your mother was changed by the magic. All of the Invisibles probably were. When you were born you inherited some of her ability."

"It's growing."

"How do you mean, Tamblin?"

"The power. It's getting stronger. It's getting easier for me to disappear."

"Do you know when this started?"

"I think it's been growing slowly all along, but..."

"The cloak," Dumbledore prompted.

Tamblin nodded. "Yes. Ever since I tried the invisibility cloak."

"I suspect the cloak may have accelerated your development substantially. Tamblin, we must be very careful about this power. I know very little about the abilities of adults taught to be invisibles and nothing about the effect on a child who inherits the ability without training."

"You're concerned for me?"

"Of course, Tamblin."

"Or are you just concerned I'll pick up where my mother left off?"

Obvious hostility shone in Tamblin's eyes.

"Tamblin, your parentage is not your destiny. You have the possibility to take all the best of who your parents were. You can also try to avoid their mistakes."

"I never had a chance to see the best of _either_ of them. Voldemort robbed me of one and you took the other."

"I'm sorry the cloak accelerated your development. I had hoped you'd be able to deal with these issues when you were older."

"I'm tired now. May I be excused?"

"Yes, Tamblin. Good night."

Tamblin turned his back on the office.


	10. Chapter 10

The next several weeks were painful. Cascata knew a distance had opened between them but didn't know what had caused it. Tamblin couldn't explain it to her since he couldn't even really explain it to himself. Meanwhile Cascata was excited about Quidditch. A few days after the tryouts Sasha had stopped Cascata in the halls. Tamblin had been walking a few paces behind and stopped to listen.

"Hey Cascata, we were posting the team names today," Sasha said.

"Oh yeah? Really?"

"Wait, before you get too excited…"

"Oh... well I thought you'd pick Xavier. He did the best at the tryout and I know you only need one Beater."

"Well, yeah. But I was still really impressed with what you did. So I've been thinking maybe we could use a backup Beater. In case somebody gets hurt during the season. It means you'd have to train just as hard and odds are you'd never actually get to play a match but next year you'd be in good shape to be picked. You know, by whoever is captain then."

Cascata's smile was beautiful. It made Tamblin feel worse.

"Really? Oh that'd be great. Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Sasha was laughing.

"Okay, okay. Look I'm not promising you anything, alright? Okay, gotta get to class. I'll let you know about practice."

As Sasha walked away Cascata leapt into the air and then bounded down the hall to go tell someone the good news. Tamblin kept carefully still and unseen to make sure she didn't notice him.


	11. Chapter 11

Tamblin felt like he was drifting further and further away from who he had been. It bothered him but at the same time he was also fulfilling some potential and that thrilled him. He was getting better and better at going unseen. He practiced his ability in various ways but the one he grew to like the best was to stand at the end of a hallway and wait for someone to walk down it toward him. He'd wait until they made eye contact with him and then he'd try to withdraw from their sight without moving. It was much harder when the person had already seen him but before long he was getting quite good at it. He could tell when it would work because their eyes would lose that sense of connection and they'd get a puzzled look on their face. Sometimes he had to step quickly aside because they tried to walk right through him.


	12. Chapter 12

"You've changed," Nott remarked quietly in Herbology.

Tamblin smiled coldly.

"I'm following your advice, Nott."

"How is that?" Nott's voice had an unusual note of nonchalance.

Tamblin was suddenly sure that Nott was afraid of him, of the change he'd seen. He couldn't help smiling wider.

"You told me not to let them 'paint me.' Define me. They don't."

"I'm not sure that's so. Being a thing, or its opposite, is still to be defined by it."

Nott remained quiet for the rest of the class.


	13. Chapter 13

Tamblin perched on a bench at the Ravenclaw table during the Halloween feast and picked sparingly at his food. He required very little food now that he spent so much time unseen. The noise of his fellow students chewing and talking loudly grated on him. He had a hard time seeing them as similar to himself. They were coarse and disruptive. Everything they did was loud and obvious while he was silent and subtle. He looked at them as they might a flobberworm.

He dropped a small piece of chicken on to his plate and swept away from the table and out of the hall. Up the stairs and away from the crowded Great Hall. The Grey Lady floated by and Tamblin was struck by how much more he had in common with the ghosts than with his supposed peers.

He flew through the corridors and stopped abruptly. On the wall in large red letters was written

 _THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS HAS BEEN_

 _OPENED. ENEMIES OF THE HEIR, BEWARE._

The words meant nothing to him but the pigment was fresh. There was a sound to his left. He looked and saw the groundskeeper's bothersome cat, Mrs. Norris, lapping at a large pool of water on the floor.

He withdrew his presence as much as he could so the cat would not sense him and that saved his life.

Something monstrously large reared up in the hallway. Despite its size it was quiet and fast. The shape was hard to discern but its eyes were bright and yellow and large. Tamblin saw the eyes. It was like standing before a tidal wave of hatred, hunger, and madness. It washed over him.

He was still and quiet and unseen. The horror in the beast's eyes flowed past and by and through him. He was bowed by it but unbroken. The brunt of it could not find him. It would kill him if it did, he was sure of that. Feeling it flow past him was terrible enough. If the beast could really see him he would shrivel and die, his insides blackened and twisted.

But it couldn't see him. The beast moved past him and he didn't turn to see where it went lest the movement reveal him.

He heard Mrs. Norris give half a yowl and then go silent. A part of him thrilled that even this beast was beneath him. His powers were still immature and it posed little threat to him.

It was a mistake. That brief spike of pride and pleasure broke the stillness. The beast was still behind him. He couldn't see it. He felt a long tongue flick his neck several times. His heart hurt with how the terror made it sieze. Then there was a hissing and the thing was gone. It hadn't killed him.

Someone was coming down the hallway. Whoever it was he didn't want to be seen here. He fled down the other way. Those eyes haunted him. Not least of all because he saw a reflection of their madness in himself.


	14. Chapter 14

Over the next few days the whole school buzzed with rumors. Apparently Mrs. Norris had been petrified rather than killed. Tamblin told no one what he knew about the incident. After charms Cascata, Hannah, Susan, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and several other Hufflepuffs he only barely knew were trying to figure out what the message meant. Tamblin had forgotten the message during his encounter with the beast. Some of them were convinced that the Potter boy was involved. Tamblin had no idea why.

Tamblin started to leave when Cascata caught his arm.

"Tamblin, What do you think it means?"

Her face was so open and hopeful that he started to withdraw but when he did he saw those damn yellow eyes staring back at him from his soul.

"I… I don't know anything about it. I'm sorry… I just… don't."

His nails were digging into his palm. The pain was helping him focus. It shouldn't be this hard to talk to a friend. Why was the barrier so insurmountable?

Cascata nodded sadly.

"Yeah, okay. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

He nodded and hurried toward History of Magic.


	15. Chapter 15

Even though he was one of the only students who enjoyed History of Magic he was severely distracted. He had no idea what Binns had been saying before the Granger girl suddenly asked about the Chamber of Secrets.

The bored and napping students perked up at the mention of the topic of so much gossip.

Binns was reluctant to discuss a matter of pure myth but the Granger girl was persistent and he eventually relented.

"The story goes that Slytherin had built a hidden chamber in the castle, of which the other founders knew nothing. Slytherin, according to legend, sealed the Chamber of Secrets so that none would be able to open it until his own true heir arrived at the school. The heir alone would be able to unseal the Chamber of Secrets, unleash the horror within, and use it to purge the school of all who were unworthy to study magic."

A slow mounting fear started to choke Tamblin. Binns denied any such chamber existed outside of myth but the students wanted to know what "the horror within" meant.

"That is believed to be some sort of monster, which the Heir of Slytherin alone can control," Binns said tiredly.

The students immediately launched into wild speculation which Binns disputed with obvious annoyance. Tamblin ignored them all. There was no doubt that Slytherin considered the non-purebloods to be the unworthy, the ones who would be prey for the monster. The monster didn't kill him after it saw him because he was a pureblood.

 _Cascata's father is a muggle._

Tamblin was out of the classroom and on his way towards the Great Hall before he finished the thought. The Hufflepuffs didn't have a class right now so she could be anywhere. He checked the Great Hall, the Library, and the Alcove with no luck. He stopped outside of the Hufflepuff common room near the kitchen and waited for a student to enter or leave. His entire body seemed to be vibrating with tension. Even so the students that passed by didn't see him. He was getting good enough to fool casual observers even when distraught.

A tall handsome boy Tamlin recognized from the Hufflepuff team stepped out of the Hufflepuff Common room and Tamblin slipped by him. The common room was a low tidy room filled with warm cinnamon scents. A couple branching passages led off from the main room into the dormitories.

The long rectangular room held four oak four poster beds with bright yellow curtains. Cascata sat on the edge of one talking with Susan, who was lying on her own bed, and Hannah who was rummaging through a trunk. All three looked at Tamblin in shock, mouths agape.

"Cascata." She was alive. The exertion of running around the entire castle caught up to him and he gasped for breath.

"Tamblin! What are you doing here? How'd you even get in here," Cascata said.

"That's not important right now…" he panted.

Hannah was bright red, "Tamblin, you're in our bedroom! We might have been getting dressed..."

Susan had a narrow look in her eyes.

"Hannah, stop. Something's wrong. What's going on, Tamblin?"

"Cascata, I'm… I'm sorry that things have been difficult between us recently."

A brief smile flashed across her face and then the confusion returned.

"Really?"

"Yes. I want to make it up to you. I think you should come to my home over Christmas break."

"Huh?"

Susan had moved next to Hannah and they were whispering back and forth.

"I just… really think you should come to my house for Christmas. There's plenty of room…" and you'll be safe, he added silently.

Cascata looked over at Susan and Hannah who both nodded earnestly.

"Uh… okay… if you are sure that's okay with you,' she said.

"I'm very sure."

Susan and Hannah made a simultaneous "Awww" sound.

"I… I'm sorry for the inappropriateness of my presence. I'll leave now."

"It's okay, I'm glad you came, really," Cascata said.

Tamblin nodded.


	16. Chapter 16

After that he shadowed Cascata as much as he could. The hard part was balancing how much he could withdraw. Not enough and people would see him, he'd be tired, hungry, and not vigilant enough. Too much and he'd stop caring. He'd start embracing that madness he saw in the beast. He was in classes with her of course but he went almost everywhere else as well. He didn't want to tell her why. She believed he'd simply wanted to mend their friendship and it meant a lot to her. If she found out it was fear for her safety that motivated him…

Nothing was going to hurt her. She'd be safe and alive and unhurt.

In the classes he could relax a bit. He didn't have to withdraw and he could try to genuinely rebuild their friendship. It was still rocky. The gap between him and his feelings was substantial. In a few short weeks he'd changed. Going back wasn't possible. The best he could try was to forge a new self that combined who he was and what he had become.

A Gryffindor student was found petrified and Tamblin redoubled his efforts to watch Cascata. The boy was supposedly Muggle-born. The thing had attacked a person now. The only good news was that the beast hadn't killed. Tamblin couldn't understand why. When he'd seen the eyes he had _known_ that it would have been fatal had he not been withdrawn. Could the Creevy boy have some magic that protected him? If he did surely Mrs. Norris didn't.

Shortly after the boy was petrified people started looking for charms, amulets, potions or anything that might protect them. A state of panic was growing among the students. Rumors about the school being closed if the attacks continued started to circulate.


	17. Chapter 17

Tamblin didn't try to hide his presence as he ascended the moving stairs. Before he touched the griffin-shaped knocker the voice bade him to enter.

Dumbledore seemed unsurprised that it was Tamblin at his door at midnight.

"Ah, Tamblin, it's nice to see you."

Tamblin thought this part was going to be touchy.

"You know why I'm here."

"Actually I don't. But I like to offer an open door to students who need to discuss issues."

"I spoke with Professor McGonnogal. She indicated that Cascata was not free to simply leave the school. Since her father entrusted her to the school's care even during the holidays she would have to get the school's permission."

"Permission to do what, Tamblin?"

"To spend the Christmas vacation away from the school."

"Where would she go, Tamblin?"

"My family estates can easily shelter her."

"Ah."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers. Tamblin had the maddening impression that Dumbledore knew all of this already but made him put on this show. Carefully Tamblin put aside his anger.

"I realize that there is some... _tension_... currently between our designs. This is not about me or you though. It's about her."

"Believe me, Tamblin, I am very much concerned with Ms. Vega's well-being. It's precisely that which gives me pause. You have to admit that you have been somewhat unstable lately. I mean no offense. You are grappling with unique burdens. I have great sympathy for you in that regard. But sympathy with your trials and entrusting another student to your care are two very different things."

"Her father is a muggle. She's a target for this thing. It has attacked a student. I haven't harmed anyone. And this thing _will_ kill, sooner or later."

Dumbledore's eyes crinkled just slightly.

"He'll offer me a deal," Tamblin thought. "Tell him what I know about the beast and in return he'll let Cascata go."

Instead Dumbledore stood and looked at some of the portraits on the walls.

"There is another consideration, Tamblin. I hate to be indelicate but as we discussed last time you live alone without any adult supervision."

"My house is maintained by my house elf Vlora, and the Wizengamot itself made allowance for me to assume the Head of Household for the Demosthene. If you do not recall it, I can certainly have the formal solicitations sent to you here."

"I remember, Tamblin. You family retainers were quite persuasive, especially in light of the case against your father falling apart. I'm sorry, I know this topic is difficult. I hope you can come to understand that I sincerely regret what happened."

Tamblin took a deep breath.

"I need an answer. Will you leave her here at Salazar Slytherin's tender mercies or will you let her come to my home?"

"Very well, Tamblin, I will allow it; so long as you swear to be responsible for her well-being."

"I do so swear. Thank you, Headmaster. According to my family's traditions I am bound to consider this a boon, and myself indebted."

Dumbledore bowed his head slightly.

Tamblin left quietly.


	18. Chapter 18

It was a Friday and Tamblin had finally collapsed. He couldn't remember the last time he had slept more than fifteen minutes. Eventually he needed to catch up. He slept without dreams for several hours and when he woke it was near lunch time. Outside the windows a heavy snow was falling.

He leapt out of bed with a start. Cascata was surely out at class now. He'd assumed she'd be fairly safe in her common room because of the number of people around. So far the beast seemed to avoid being seen and strike only those who were alone.

Cursing himself he threw on his clothes and headed for the doors to the castle. The Hufflepuffs should be in Herbology now with the Gryffindors. When he got to the front gate there was a note there written in glowing letters on the gate itself. It stated that Herbology had been canceled due to the blizzard.

Tamblin began searching for her. Someone started yelling and Tamblin sped toward the sound. It was Peeves. His calls had brought a crowd running. In the center, surrounded at a fearful distance, was the petrified form of Justin Finch-Fletchley and the un-petrified form of Harry Potter.

Tamblin scanned the students quickly and saw Cascata. He moved toward her and when she saw him she threw her arms around him and started sobbing. Tamblin stroked her hair.


	19. Chapter 19

The Hufflepuffs were convinced that Potter had attacked Justin. Hannah was hysterical. Last year she'd had a crush on Justin. Susan fumed and said little. Ernie kept going on about how he was right. Zacharias wondered why the Slytherins weren't kicked out of the castle. Ernie pointed out that Potter wasn't a Slytherin, to which Zacharias merely remarked that it was still a good idea.

Tamblin stood nearby. Cascata sat in a chair and stared blankly. He ignored everyone else. They could prattle all they liked.

"I'm tired." It was the first thing Cascata had said in the last couple hours. She started to stand up and Tamblin took her hand to help. She leaned on him and they started to leave.

"It's not Potter."

He hadn't meant to say anything but somehow it slipped out. Cascata stiffened slightly against him. He could feel the others staring at him but he refused to look back.

Cascata walked as if in a trance. Tamblin guided her toward her common room. Outside the entrance she stopped and pulled away from him.

"Why did you say that?"

"Don't worry about it, you should be safe in there. I'll see you in the morning."

"Oh god, it's only a couple days until the train and I haven't even checked to see that it's okay if I go to your home for Christmas."

"It's taken care of."

"What?"

"I've handled it with Dumbledore, you are permitted to leave."

"Stop it!" She shouted.

"What?"

"You've been controlling my life! I can't turn around without you being there. You're running my life for me. I don't want that."

"I'm sorry. I'm just trying to keep you safe. Somebody needs to."

"You aren't my dad!"

Tamblin took a deep breath.

"No, I'm not. I've seen _it_ , Cascata."

She looked disbelieving.

"Had I not been what I am I would have died."

Quietly she asked, "And what are you?"

"I think... we will have to wait and see. At the moment I'm an over-protective friend."

"I know you mean well, Tamblin."

It was nice to hear but Tamblin wasn't so sure it was true.

"I promise I'll relax over Christmas Break. Will you still come? I can't stand to think of you here."

"Well since you already cleared things with Dumbledore I guess I better. Just stop treating me like I'm helpless. Okay?"

"Agreed. Good night."


	20. Chapter 20

The train from Hogsmeade to London was far more somber than it had been previously. Even the more boisterous students were restrained. Tamblin felt greatly relieved once they were away from the castle. He meant it when he had promised to try and relax. He needed some balance desperately. Now that Cascata would be safely away from whatever it was at the castle he could devote some attention to it.

It was evening by the time the taxi from London pulled up outside the Demosthene estate. Cascata stared in wonder.

"That... that's your house?"

"Yes. And for the next week yours as well."

The closer they got the more shocked Cascata seemed to get.

Vlora met them at the door doing small pirouettes and singing.

"Welcome, Young Master! And welcome honored guest!"

Tamblin stepped into the massive foyer. Cascata seemed scared to cross the threshold.

"Thank you, Vlora. Is dinner nearly ready? A hot meal sounds very good."

Vlora looked supremely pleased with herself.

"Dinner is on the dining room table, Young Master. Master promised..."

Tamblin sighed.

"I promised we'd use the dining table if we had guests didn't I? Very well. Cascata... Cascata, please come in. You'll get used to it, I promise."

She did step in and looked around in wonder.

"It's amazing, Tamblin. I think my entire home could fit inside your entryway."

"Come on, let's go eat. We can talk afterward."

"Afterward?"

"It's hard to talk when you are at opposite ends of a table that can seat eighteen."

Cascata giggled.

"Unfortunately I'm serious. But I did promise."


	21. Chapter 21

Tamblin showed Cascata the guest bedroom and attached bath. Vlora had already brought her trunk in. After looking around her a bit she turned to Tamblin with very big eyes.

"Do we have to go back? Ever?" She smiled. "This is beautiful. I've never lived any place so nice. I mean Hogwarts is amazing, but we have four people to a dorm. This room is bigger than the dorm I share and it's just for me?"

"If you want it. If not there are other rooms I can show you."

Cascata looked around with an air of appraisal. "No, I think this will do. _For now_."

She burst into giggles. Tamblin felt it well up in him too.

Cascata crossed to him and hugged him tightly.

"Good night, Tamblin. Thanks for bringing me here and sharing this with me."


	22. Chapter 22

The next day he took her on a tour of the house followed by a walk through the grounds. The snow crunched underfoot but the sun shone weakly so it wasn't too cold. Then they came back inside for some cocoa. Cascata seemed very impressed by the central hearth. The bas-relief figures of two mastiffs locked in combat fascinated her. She was also impressed that he had muggle cocoa. Apparently she was quite fond of it from her childhood.

"I can't get over this place. It's fabulous. You've got all these magic things and all these muggle things. I guess I imagined that pureblood wizards didn't have phones."

"Many don't. For a long time the Demosthenes have dabbled in both worlds with regards to our estates. Believe me there are a large number of muggle accountants and solicitors I dealt with this summer."

"Estates? You mean your family owns other places too?"

Tamblin was starting to get a bit embarrassed about his family's wealth.

"Yes. The Demosthenes family has holdings in Europe as well. I believe that this house is our only holding in England."

"You don't know?"

"Some of the holdings are... obscure. I can get to them, but I don't know exactly where they are."

Cascata let that pass for now.

"And you're the last Demosthene?"

"There are some distant relations, but the holdings I spoke of come to me alone through inheritance, yes."

Cascata watched him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm making you self-conscious. It's just a different world from what I'm used to."


	23. Chapter 23

Christmas morning Tamblin awoke to Cascata shaking him.

"Up! Up! Up!"

He had been struggling not to withdraw at all and as a result his need for sleep and food had returned with a vengeance. He groggily looked toward the window. Outside only the barest glimmers of sunshine had made their way into the world.

"Ug."

"Up! It's Christmas! We have presents! Up!"

He pried an eye open again. She was already dressed. She was serious.

"It's Christmas!"

"I can't get up with you in here watching me. Go away."

"If I leave you'll just go back to sleep," she said warily.

"If you don't leave one of us will get awfully embarrassed."

She seemed to blush a bit.

"All right but if you aren't up in five minutes I'm coming back in with a Sonorus charm."

Tamblin got up and blearily put on some clothes. When he opened his door Cascata was standing right on the other side tapping her foot and looking incredibly chipper for someone who was awake before dawn.

Vlora of course already had a breakfast prepared but Cascata couldn't wait to open the packages that had appeared overnight under the eighteen-foot Christmas tree. The tree itself was a marvel with all manner of animated ornaments that crawled through the branches. An illusion made it seem that it was perpetually snowing in a three foot radius around the tree although the flakes were neither wet nor cold and did not build up on the ground.

Vlora had provided all the usual presents that Tamblin was accustomed to, as well as another set for Cascata. By the time they were done each had several new outfits as well as new school supplies and copies of popular books and albums that a good salesman had convince Vlora to buy.

At last Tamblin asked Vlora to get his present for Cascata. The house elf returned after a moment with the long wrapped shape.

Cascata carefully peeled the paper back to reveal a broom.

"I know you didn't have your own broom, and you'll need a decent one if you are going to play Quidditch."

She held it up.

"I've never seen one like it."

"It's a fairly old broom really. Before they were mass produced. It is hand crafted. It's Dutch and I believe called a 'Fluyt.'"

She examined it closely.

"What are..."

Her fingers traced the edges of the stick almost reverently. There were holes along the sides and at the tip.

"Ah. It's something of a special design. As you fly air rushes through the holes at the front and then out the sides making sound. You can change the sound depending on which holes you cover with your hands."

"It...sings?"

"In a manner of speaking. I believe such brooms were used as part of celebrations with different 'voiced' brooms flying together in patterns to make music. It may not be very fast since it wasn't made as a sport-broom. I'm not very up on brooms really. I thought it might be a good choice for you but in retrospect you might prefer one of the other ones we have."

He held out his hands but she clutched the broom to her.

"I love it. Thank you." She stood up and walked over to him. Leaning down she kissed him on the cheek.

"Can I try it now?"

"If you like. I have to take care of a chore. I'll have to leave for a little bit but I'll come back."

"I'll come with you. I can ride the broom later."

"Are you sure? This might not be the best idea."

She set her broom down carefully and took his hand.

"So where are we going?" she asked.

"To a tomb."


	24. Chapter 24

He brought her into the study. Closing the door he went to the large sextant like device on the desk.

"This room connects to several different places. By rotating the sextant's pedestal you can change where the door connects to."

"What if you have the door open?"

He looked at her very seriously.

"You don't want to do that."

"Ohhh-kay. What is this?"

She held up a small statue of a snake with two heads, one at each end.

"That's a homonculus, an Amphisbaen. Don't play with it."

She set the Amphisbaen down carefully on the desk.

"And why are we going to a tomb?"

"I have to appease my ancestors, and we aren't 'going.' We're already there."

He opened the studio door and instead of the Demosthene mansion there was a dark tunnel. She approached the door carefully.

"Wow."

"Are you sure you want to come? You could stay here, just don't mess with the sextant."

"No, I want to see how you live."

"Okay." He sighed. "I hate doing this. Let's get it over with."

She stuck very close to him as they made their way down the tunnel. Torches burned in sconces and illuminated the ancient tapestries of family history. Cascata looked carefully at the recessed alcoves and then drew back in alarm. Her voice was higher pitched than normal and her hand on his arm gripped a bit tighter.

"This is really a tomb?"

"Yes. Those are some of my ancestors."

"And what are we doing here?"

"I have to go speak with the ghosts of my ancestors, to appease them on Christmas."

"Tamblin?"

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you wouldn't mind if I stayed in the office for this?"

"No, not at all. Trust me I'd much rather stay there too. But it's my duty."

Tamblin started to turn around but Cascata stopped him.

"It's okay, you don't have to walk me back. I can go back on my own. Just do whatever you have to do and come back quickly. Okay?"

"Sure."

She looked back at him and smiled and then disappeared around the corner back the way they had come. Tamblin continued on to the circular room.

"Good tidings."

Immediately the ghosts of his ancestors floated into the room through the walls and out of the recessed alcoves.

"On this Christmas I come to honor-"

A scream sounded through the passages.

It was Cascata.

He started to run. The Ghosts were offended.

"Misbegotten whelp," screeched the twisted necked ghost of his great great great aunt Anamarie. Her insubstantial arms slapped at him.

"Ungrateful brat," roared his grandfather's ghost.

The ghosts' shouts were all merging into a cacophony from which individual words couldn't be distinguished. They clutched at him with wispy limbs. They couldn't touch him but he couldn't see through the mass of their bodies. He ran blindly toward the office.

His shoulder struck a wall and he bounced off it and slammed into the opposite wall. He picked himself up and ran on. The ghosts didn't follow him all the way to the office but their curses and howls echoed throughout the tomb.

The office was just ahead. Cascata was laying on the floor inside. He rolled her over so he could see her face and found the Amphisbaen clutched to her collar bone.

Both mouths had bitten deeply into her flesh. He grabbed the statuette and at his touch it released its grip and became quiescent.

He tossed it aside. Cascata felt cold to the touch. She was breathing but only barely. He grabbed the sextant and twisted it. He slammed the study door open.

"Vlora!"

He picked Cascata up. It was a good thing she was so small for her age. As it was the shoulder he'd struck in the tomb burned from the strain. He staggered with her out to the hearth. Vlora appeared from the kitchen.

"Cascata's injured. The Amphisbaen bit her."

Vlora's eyes got very large and watery.

"Master, Amphisbaen is poison!"

Tamblin was afraid of that.

He pulled open a drawer built into the side of the hearth and scooped out a handful of the silverish powder. He held the powder in his left, injured, arm. Clutching Cascata to him with the right he stepped into the hearth and threw down the powder.

"St. Mungo's Hospital."


	25. Chapter 25

He and Cascata were ejected from a fireplace in the emergency room at St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

He looked up and saw a young woman in a lime green outfit approaching hurriedly.

"She's hurt. She's been bitten. Please, help her!"

The healer was already examining the twin bites on Cascata's throat. Then she withdrew a wand from her robe and pointed it at Cascata. Her body rose smoothly into the air and started to float down a short hallways to another room. The healer followed. Tamblin started to come as well when another employee of the hospital reached out to stop him. He was a young man wearing a similar outfit to the first healer.

"I've got to see if she'll be all right."

The man shook his head slightly.

"You can help by telling us what happened. Are you injured?"

"No. I'm fine. She was bitten. By a snake. Not a real snake. A homunculus. It... I think it may be poisonous. She was bitten just a couple minutes before we arrived. That's all I know."

"What is her name?"

"Cascata Vega."

"And you are?"

"Tamblin Demosthene. She's staying with me during the holidays."

"So you aren't family?"

The question had a strong sense of finality to it. They weren't going to let Tamblin see her or know anything. It took the young man several minutes to try and put this across delicately but there it was. He assured Tamblin that if she recovered enough to have non-familial visitors then they'd notify him.

Tamblin tried to withdraw and follow after her anyway but he couldn't make it happen. The pain, the shock, and the pure terror of it all made it impossible to become still. He stood like a zombie staring down the hallway where he'd last seen them taking Cascata.

Eventually the young man guided him back to the fireplace.

"Technically this is only for incoming emergencies but we'll make an exception. You're too young to Apparate and I can't in good conscience put you out on the street in this state. Go home. We'll look after your friend. You've had a nasty shock and need to rest."

The healer pressed a small quantity of floo powder into his hand. Tamblin took it without noticing. The healer turned Tamblin's head gently until Tamblin couldn't see the hallway any more. Tamblin's eyes snapped on to the Healer's.

"Can you get home okay?"

Tamblin nodded and the man smiled.

Tamblin entered the emergency entrance hearth. He dropped the floo powder at his feet.

Numbly he said, "Demosthene Mansion."

Vlora was there when he was ejected from the giant hearth.

Empty of sincerity or emotion he said, "She'll be okay. The healers will take care of her."

Vlora nodded her head vigorously but her eyes remained watery. Tamblin walked slowly back to the study and sat down.


	26. Chapter 26

He had lost track of time while staring blankly at the wall, but the knocking on the door broke the reverie.

Vlora was rushing toward the front door when Tamblin emerged from the office feeling more tired than he could ever remember being.

"Vlora."

The house elf skidded to a stop on the marble floor.

"Yes, Master?"

"I'll get the door."

"But...but...Master needs to rest. Vlora can get the door."

Tamblin felt his temper start to rise.

" _I'll_ get the door. _Don't_ make me repeat myself again."

Vlora's ears drooped and her shoulders hunched even more than usual for a house elf.

"Yes, master. Vlora is sorry."

Tamblin strode past her. Every footstep seemed to make him more and more angry. Angry at everyone.

He opened the door and looked out. Three Ministry of Magic officials looked back.


	27. Chapter 27

The man in front looked down at Tamblin and sneered.

"Tell your parents that they need to come to the door, shorty."

"My parents are dead. Address me or go away."

The man's eyes narrowed significantly.

"Fine. I'm Garrant, from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. We got a report."

Tamblin nodded slightly.

"There was an accident. My friend was injured and I took her to St. Mungo's."

"We're going to inspect the premises for dark wizarding artifacts. You better pray we don't find any."

Garrant started to walk in. Tamblin shoved him back.

"You will _not._ "

Garrant started to reach into his robe when one of the other Ministry officials grabbed his arm. He was a large bald black man. He shook his head slightly and then gently pulled Garrant back away from the door. He pushed him gently toward a third, red-haired member while smoothly stepping forward to take his place.

"Are you Tamblin?" His voice was deep and mellow.

"I am. You are?"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt. I'm not sure if you are aware how serious this is. Your friend was severely injured. We have to inspect the homunculus responsible."

"I will fetch it for you then. Remain here."

Tamblin closed the door swiftly in their faces and for good measure he touched the round metal pad on the door. No one would be able to tell from outside, but the double doors had fused into a single un-openable piece and would stay that way until he touched the pad again.

He moved quickly to the study and found the Amphisbaen on the floor where he'd tossed it. At his touch the statuette came alive and slithered up his hand to curl around his wrist. Gently he pried it off his arm. He looked carefully at it. The emerald chip eyes shone at him. He could see traces of red around the mouths. Its two tongues flicked out at him. He suppressed the strong desire to smash it against the wall.

As he returned to the front door he could make out voices from the other side.

"...shut up, Garrant," said Shacklebolt.

"He might just be making a run for it." Not a voice he knew; must be the red head.

"I don't think so." Shacklebolt again.

"I'm telling you, this place looks familiar." Garrant.

"Shut up, Garrant."

"Really, Garrant, it's Christmas. I'd like to get this done and back to the family. Don't make it harder." Red head.

Tamblin tapped the metal pad on the door and opened it. Shacklebolt looked at him as if he'd been waiting patiently the whole time. Garrant was looking around the grounds suspiciously. The red-headed wizard was fidgeting.

Tamblin held out the Amphisbaen but did not release it. Shacklebolt started to take it from him but stopped when he felt that Tamblin wasn't letting go of it.

"We need to examine it, Tamblin."

"I understand that but I don't know how it will react when I let go of it. It may attack you. It never normally leaves the study." Tamblin felt a strange tightness in his jaw. He was having trouble keeping his teeth from grinding together while talking to these Ministry of Magic fools.

Shacklebolt examined the two-headed snake.

"It's a guardian homunculus, right?"

"Yes, I believe so."

"Then it shouldn't attack me so long as you are nearby. Just in case though..." He reached into his cloak pockets and brought out a thick pair of gloves that appeared to be made from dragon hide.

Tamblin let him take the snake.

Shacklebolt held it firmly but the snake remained calm. Garrant tapped one of the heads with his wand. A small puff of blue smoke lifted into the air. He tapped the other head with the same result.

"It's a match for the girl's wounds," said the red-headed wizard.

"If you look in Ministry records you'll find it has been properly documented and licensed."

Shacklebolt handed the Amphisbaen back to him.

"Do you have any word on Cascata's condition?"

Garrant frowned.

"Whose?"

Shacklebolt said, "The victim. No, Tamblin, we don't know her condition."

"She has a name," Tamblin said fiercely.

Shacklebolt put a hand out on Tamblin's shoulder. The contact shocked Tamblin. Tamblin's body was wound incredibly tight, but he didn't notice until he felt the contrast of Shacklebolt's hand.

"Of course she does. We'll check up on her, but in the mean time we need you to come down to the Ministry."

Shacklebolt's voice was very firm but not unkind, and that helped Tamblin keep from exploding.

Tamblin and Shacklebolt stared at each other until Tamblin blinked.

"Vlora."

The house elf came running from wherever she'd been moping. Tamblin handed her the Amphisbaen.

"Take this back to the study."

Vlora hurried to obey.

Tamblin stepped out of the mansion and closed the door behind him. Shacklebolt and the red-headed wizard led the way with Garrant following behind Tamblin. As they crossed the front garden and lawn to the gate Garrant suddenly spoke up.

"I knew I recognized this place. Seven or eight years ago, Shacklebolt..."

"Shut _up_ , Garrant!"

"...some Death Eater. Hunh. Guess depravity runs in the family..."

They hadn't bothered to disarm Tamblin of his wand. His hand found the thick heavy shaft. Quirrell had called it a bloodwand. That was his last thought as he spun around and felt it crunch into Garrant's temple. Two stunning spells caught him from behind an instant later.


	28. Chapter 28

Tamblin woke up very sore. He was in a small cell. His wand was gone. There was a cot but he was laying on the floor. He got up and surveyed the situation with disgust and resentment. The room was too small for him to pace. His energy reflected back from the walls of his small space. His anger fed on his sense of injustice which fed on his self-disgust which fed on his anger.

It was Christmas. Cascata might very well be dead because she was stupid enough to be friends with him. He'd just assaulted a Ministry of Magic employee. He might well be sentenced to Azkaban. He'd destroyed his best friend, his future, and his family all in one stroke.

He screamed and struck the door in rage. He looked inside himself. The beast's eyes were very close to the surface. He was going mad.


	29. Chapter 29

His tears of frustration had dried when the noise came. Someone was outside the door. The door was unlocked and bright light flooded the room. A tall shape was discernible in silhouette.

"Well," Tamblin said. "It looks like you were right."

Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room.

"Oh, Tamblin..."

Tamblin sat up on the cot. His left shoulder flared painfully. His hands hurt more. He'd beat them against the door and they were severely bruised. He might have broken a bone in his right hand. It'd taken a long time to excise his anger, or enough of it that he wouldn't simply snap. He must look terrible.

"I have made a ruin of all."

Tamblin felt a physical ache to ask the question, but he knew he didn't deserve an answer. Dumbledore took pity on him anyway.

"Ms. Vega appears to be recovering. She'll have to stay in the hospital a few more days but it's quite likely she'll pull through at this point.

Tamblin thought he had used up any tears he might have had but new ones surprised him.

"I just wanted to protect her... I know you don't believe me..."

"But I do believe you, Tamblin. Had you meant Ms. Vega any harm you would not have brought her so promptly to St. Mungo's and you certainly would not have been around when the Ministry showed up. You could have simply disappeared but you did not."

"You believe me? After your concerns at the school?"

"I never thought you would intend harm toward Ms. Vega. I was worried you might...well, that something like that happened with Mr. Garrant might happen."

"I attacked a Ministry officer in an official capacity. What happens now? A trial?"

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Then what?"

"Nothing, Tamblin."

"Nothing? I assaulted a Ministry official..."

"Mr. Shacklebolt and Mr. Weasley both gave statements that you'd been cooperative and were provoked. Mr. Garrant is fine and was convinced to not press any charges against you."

"I'm free to go?"

"Once we are done talking here, yes. But you must understand that I exercised considerable sway to help keep you free. I will not be as tolerant of similar problems in the future."

"I understand. I should not have let him provoke me."

"No, you shouldn't have. I think we need to talk more about your mother, Tamblin."

"What more is there to say? She was a tool for Voldemort. She learned her lessons too well and the power was passed to me."

"She became a tool of dark wizards but she was a person first. A person you never got the chance to really know. You should know some of who she was as well as what became of her. Her life as well as her death."

"What can we know? You said everything was expunged. No records remained. Even pictures are gone."

"I think the pictures and records of your mother remain; they are just faded from our sight. When we try very hard we may see them again. I have delved into my memories with some effort. I have found traces of her, I believe."

Tamblin looked away.

"She was a quiet girl who possessed grand dreams, and was socially invisible to most of her peers. A decent student, polite, generally un-noticed. She was also an ambitious girl. She wanted very much to be more than she had been. She craved attention and acceptance. Voldemort saw the potential in her that most of us missed. She wanted to be special and he taught her magic that only a handful in the world knew. She wanted acceptance and he made her an indispensable tool for his designs. She wanted attention and he turned her into someone who was invisible to the world so that she could only get it from him. One of many terrible ironies from that time. She was not a bad person but she made a terrible mistake and it led to her doing even more terrible things."

Tamblin wasn't sure how much of it to believe. There was no way to confirm Dumbledore's sudden recollections. Tamblin suspected it likely was just a way to try and mold him to be what Dumbledore wanted. Despite what he owed to Dumbledore for his intervention he had no interest in being a pawn.

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, Headmaster. Can I visit Cascata?"

"You'll have to ask the Healers at St. Mungo's if she can have visitors."


	30. Chapter 30

Cascata was not allowed visitors that day or the next. Vlora tended to Tamblin's shoulder and hands. The bruises were healing rapidly. On the second day after Christmas they replied to his owl that Ms. Vega could have visitors for a short period. He made his way as fast as he could to the hospital. He couldn't use the floo powder. Technically his Hearth wasn't even on the floo network. The network allowed temporary connections to get people to emergency services though.

He used a muggle taxi. It took forever.


	31. Chapter 31

Cascata looked to be asleep when he crept up to the bed. He delicately placed the flowers on the side table. When he looked over at her again her eyes were open. Her voice was dry and hoarse.

"Hey, Tamblin."

He sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Hi. Are you okay?"

She nodded. It sounded like it hurt her to talk. She pointed to a water cup on the table. He picked it up and handed it to her. She drank some and then coughed hard. Water sprayed from her mouth onto the sheets. Tamblin took the cup from her hand while she shook with a coughing fit. Once it finished she lay back exhausted.

"Don't talk, it's okay."

She nodded.

"I am so sorry, Cascata."

She nodded weakly.

"I wanted to help protect you and... and... can you forgive me?"

She nodded weakly again but her eyes were closed and tears had squeezed out of them.

"I'm sorry, do you want me to go... so you can rest?"

She nodded once more but then she sat up and motioned him closer. She wanted to say something so he put his ear close to her lips. Her parched thin voice chilled him.

"What kind of family do you come from, Tamblin?"

She lay back down and fell asleep immediately, exhausted by the effort.


	32. Chapter 32

There was no avoiding Hannah and Susan at Platform Nine and Three-Quarters. He was trying to avoid withdrawing unless absolutely necessary. They homed in on him immediately upon his arrival.

"Hi, Tamblin," Susan called as they got closer.

"Merry Christmas," Hannah added.

"Christmas sucks." The bitterness in his tone surprised even him and Hannah looked taken aback.

Susan looked around.

"Where's Cascata?"

Tamblin looked away.

"Tamblin?" Hannah's voice was weak.

"She's in the hospital. Will probably return to school in a day or two."

"What happened?" Hannah asked.

"Why didn't you tell us?" Susan demanded.

"Because I was busy being taken into Ministry of Magic custody. All right?" He struggled to keep control. He managed to continue more mildly. "Look. There was an accident. Cascata got hurt. It was my fault. Good news is that she survived."

The train signal sounded and the milling students started funneling into the Express. Hannah took one of his arms and Susan took the other.

"Come on, let's get into the warm train," Susan said.

"It'll be okay, Tamblin," added Hannah.

Tamblin spent the trip ignoring everyone in the traveling compartment.


	33. Chapter 33

The first two days back to classes consisted of mounting anticipation and tedium. Tamblin had tried to visit Cascata after that awkward first trip but the hospital consistently told him she wasn't up to seeing anyone. His stomach twisted painfully when he wondered if she'd told them she didn't want him visiting.

She'd seemed to indicate she could forgive him, but at the same time something was terribly wrong. He sent several bouquets of flowers to the hospital and arranged with his solicitors to have the hospital fees covered. Then he was at a loss as to what he could do. So he waited, and waited, and waited.

The atmosphere of the school didn't help. Rather than relaxing over the break it seemed most of the children had their stress heightened by their parents' worries. The trade in protective trinkets amplified if anything. Tamblin was pained by the thought of Cascata coming back to the school and being in danger but he no longer felt he could protect her. He'd failed at that conclusively.

On the third day Cascata returned.


	34. Chapter 34

He was in the morning potions class when she walked in anticlimactically and seated herself with Hannah and Susan. For the rest of the class he tried to catch her eye but she was occupied by Hannah and Susan's whispered questions.

After class she quickly left. Tamblin sat at his table alone until Professor Snape snarled at him.

Tamblin sat through History of Magic and for once found no interest at all in the subject. All he could think about was Cascata and how he'd failed her. He tortured himself with recriminations. After the class ended he knew he had to find her and at least find out what was wrong. Even if the answer was that she hated him he had to know.

He found the three of them headed toward the Great Hall for food. Cascata stiffened slightly when she saw him heading toward her. Hannah became intensely interested in the floor and Susan likewise the window.

"I'm sorry. I know you don't want to see me. I just have to know how bad I've made things. Do you hate me?"

Cascata winced.

"No. I don't hate you." Her voice was mostly back to normal but with a slightly huskier sound.

"What can I do to earn your forgiveness?"

Her eyes were tearing up.

"It's not like that..."

Tamblin's stomach no longer had any bottom.

"You mean that I... I can't be forgiven?"

Her eyes were squeezed tight and the tears were flowing freely.

"I do forgive you. You didn't mean any harm. I just... am not... comfortable being around you."

With that she turned around and started to walk away. Hannah hurried to help support her but Susan remained. Tamblin watched Cascata leave. The pain was freshly raw.

Susan stayed quiet while he composed himself. When Cascata was long out of sight she put a hand on his shoulder.

"How are you doing?"

Tamblin gave a short barking laugh.

"Great. You?"

"She meant it, Tamblin, she's not angry with you. She knows you mean well. It's just..."

"Just what? Please tell me. Whatever it is."

Susan sighed.

"Is it true, Tamblin? That you come from a dark wizarding family?"

Tamblin stared at her in shock.

"It's okay if you do. I mean, I don't think that a person is bound by their family. If it is true..."

It was Tamblin's turn to sigh.

"I suppose it is... true."

Susan was staring at him.

"Really?"

"I haven't seen my parents since I was a small child. But yes they were involved in some things that would..." He trailed off.

Susan's voice was uncommonly quiet, "were they Death Eaters?"

"Not _precisely_."

Tamblin was surprised when Susan suddenly hugged him.

"I'm sorry Tamblin, I know what it's like to have a lot of family expectations and baggage. Oh no, not in the same way, but still..."

"I still don't really understand."

"Tamblin... her mother was a bystander at a fight between an Auror and a Death Eater. That's how she died. Cascata was crushed. And you know how her father responded. She cares about you but now... she also kind of associates you with her mother's death."

"My parents were dead long before that happened."

"I know. I don't mean she thinks your family was directly responsible. It's just that you are connected to _those_ people."

"But she doesn't hate me?"

Susan shook her head.

"Like she said she's just really uncomfortable being around you because she doesn't know what to feel. She'll probably get over it but she's going to need some time. Does your family really practice some kind of death worship?"

Tamblin cringed at hearing Susan put it like that, especially knowing that's how Cascata must have described it.

"I'm sorry, it just sounded so unreal. I guess we always saw you as kind of straight laced and maybe a bit uptight."

"It's not how it sounds."

She touched his hand.

"I'm sure it's not. But you can maybe see where it was quite a lot for Cascata, what with that business, and then the attack, and then the Ministry asking her questions and stuff."

"The Ministry talked to her?"

"Yeah, she said they came in to get a report on the accident. The guy apparently let slip some stuff about your family having previous issues. Then she started putting it all together."

Tamblin felt a surge of resentment.

"I better go. I'll see you later, okay?"

"Yeah. Thanks, Susan."

She smiled weakly and left to find Cascata and Hannah.


	35. Chapter 35

_She'll probably get over it._

It was a slim thread to hang his hope from but it was all he had. Cascata tried to keep as much distance as she could between them and Tamblin tried not to crowd her. She was right after all. He was from a family of black magic. Necromancers and fiends to a man. He had to check his bitterness. He was becoming too isolated and he could feel himself drifting. Hannah and Susan tried to talk to him but they were torn by loyalty to Cascata. Tamblin had no desire to put them more in the middle than they had to be.

He'd gone to watch the Hufflepuff practices a few times to see if maybe Cascata would use the broom he'd given her. She hadn't. He'd asked Susan to give it to her so as not to offend her with his presence. Susan admitted that Cascata had cried for quite a while afterward so it apparently hadn't helped. She kept the broom but hadn't used it.

Lisa still struck up the odd conversation but Tamblin tried to be unavailable. The last thing he wanted to do was something else that would hurt Cascata's feelings. Instead Tamblin took up playing wizard's chess with Nott.


	36. Chapter 36

Nott moved his knight away from the valuable center of the board. At first the move looked like a mistake but as Tamblin concentrated he thought he could see the gambit unfolding.

"A couple of Hufflepuff boys in our year were circulating a petition to get the Slytherin house removed from campus." Nott's eyes were on the board. "Naturally I asked to sign it."

Tamblin looked up from the board.

"Why?"

"To see how they'd react." Nott's soft features only had to flex just slightly to smile. "Are you sure you want to put your rook there?"

Tamblin looked back at the board.

"Yes."

"Good move."

"They may have a point," Tamblin said.

Nott was focused on the board.

"How's that?"

"Well it is reasonable to suppose the Heir of Slytherin would be a Slytherin. By kicking them all out you are likely to stop the attacks."

Nott smiled and looked up at Tamblin as his pawn ambled forward.

"And it's not like it'd be a big loss, right?" Nott's eyes were glittering.

"Some might say that the Slytherins brought it on themselves," Tamblin said.

Nott cocked his head. "Why do you think Salazar Slytherin built the Chamber of Secrets?"

"You think it exists?"

"Oh, surely."

"Madness," Tamblin said.

"Excuse me?"

Tamblin said, "He built it out of madness. Insanity."

Nott smirked.

"Well I suppose that is one possibility. I was thinking something a bit more pedestrian. Remember the time when Hogwarts was founded. This was long before we had the benevolent Ministry of Magic to keep us hidden from Muggles. For our own good of course."

Nott smiled.

"Where was I? Oh yes. So when the school was founded wizards and witches were busy being persecuted by muggles, who always have and always will outnumber us. The school was designed to be a safe haven. It _is_ a castle after all. A fortification. What do you think they were building walls to protect against? Other wizards? Sure to some extent, but mostly it was to protect against muggles. They knew that there were plenty of superstitious peasants in those days that, if they found a school full of wizards and witches, would have burned every child in the place."

Nott sat back, the game apparently forgotten.

"So they build a castle to protect their school. And then three of the four founders seriously suggest letting those same violent muggles into the school. One can forgive Salazar a bit of paranoia at the thought that the same people anxious to tie us to stakes were going to be at the PTA meetings."

Tamblin interjected, "and the Chamber?"

"A fail safe. A means to protect the school from the ravages of the muggles. Or a way to take vengeance if the worst occurred."

Tamblin shook his head, "the world is different now."

"Of course it is, which is why the Chamber should have been kept sealed. But during Salazar's time the Chamber was reasonable and prudent. He didn't foresee the future integration that would come. He only saw the threat to his people and acted to guard against it."

Nott leaned forward again.

"Now if you want madness you should look for who has opened the chamber now. I would say they are grossly misnamed as the 'Heir of Slytherin.'"

"You know who it is don't you?"

"By name? No, not at all. But in a way, yes." Nott was looking at the feeble sunlight coming through the high window.

"Meaning?"

Nott pointed at the chess board.

"It's a gambit. Slytherin's fail safe isn't needed any more for its original purpose. So why has someone opened it? To suit their agenda, not Salazaar's."

"Their agenda being..."

"To drive out the muggles, to close the school, to harm Dumbledore... all point toward the same conclusion."

"Voldemort is dead," Tamblin said.

"Don't be so narrow. You think the ideas he championed began or ended with him? Of course not. There are poles around which people array themselves."

He started to reset the board.

"Look here. A white side and a black side. Kings, queens, bishops, rooks, knights and pawns. Most especially pawns. Unlike chess, in real life if the king is captured a new king simply is promoted. The black pawns stay black and the white pawns stay white.

Nott held up a black pawn.

"Call these the Death Eaters."

He picked up a white one.

"And these Aurors."

He put both pawns back in place.

"Each is just so proud of his color that they forget that they remain pawns."

Nott picked up the white king.

"Dumbledore?"

Next the black king.

"Voldemort?"

"Now is the game any different..."

He placed the white king back in the black king's place and vice versa.

"...if we swap their places?"

He surveyed the board carefully.

"Nope everything stays the same. The respective groups just align to the opposite pole. The pawns remain pawns and the two sides still inevitably clash."

Tamblin thought of Cascata.

"And innocents suffer."

Nott frowned. "Everyone suffers, Tamblin. Do you imagine that kings really care for their pawns or hesitate to sacrifice them when it will bring them closer to victory?"

Nott stood up.

"I should be going. I have a substantial amount of homework. Thank you for the game."

Before he could leave, though, he turned back.

"By the way, do you think the most powerful wizard in the world really had no idea what would happen when Voldemort went to kill the Potters?" He seemed to consider this for a moment and then shrugged. "See you tomorrow, Tamblin."


	37. Chapter 37

Tamblin mulled over Nott's words and couldn't find fault with them. He knew that Dumbledore and Voldemort might have different methods but the aim was always the same: power. The Demosthenes had carefully shepherded their resources through history by making the pragmatic choices with regards to power-mad princes. His father had chosen poorly and it had nearly destroyed the family line. But had those who had supported Dumbledore done any better? No. And Cascata's story was all too common. Those who were neutral but caught between. Casualties to Dumbledore and Voldemort's ambition.

He was walking by the hospital wing when Lisa Turpin and Mandy Brocklehurst came out holding a couple of vials. Lisa looked up, saw him, and waved.

"Hey, Tamblin!"

"Uh, hello... Lisa. What's that?" Tamblin pointed at the vial she was holding.

Lisa looked a little embarrassed.

"Oh it's just a little...um...potion."

"I can see that."

"I've...I mean we've both had trouble sleeping recently. Everything is just too scary with students getting attacked. Madam Pomfrey gave us these. She said they'd help us to relax before sleep."

Tamblin peered at the innocent-looking clear liquid.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Why, do you need something to help you sleep too?"

Tamblin thought.

"Hrrm. Maybe. Would you mind if I borrowed a small amount of yours?"

"No, not at all."

Lisa smiled again and Mandy rolled her eyes and sighed noisily. Even though he was trying to avoid being around her the attention was a great temptation. She radiated it like warmth. He felt almost human.

Tamblin reached into his cloak and pulled out an empty vial. Lisa uncorked hers and carefully poured a small amount into Tamblin's vial. As soon as she'd put the cork back in Mandy started tugging on her arm.

"Come on Lisa, let's get back to the common room."

Lisa waved.

"Bye, Tamblin!"

As soon as they were out of sight Tamblin held the vial up to the light to examine it.


	38. Chapter 38

Phausto looked somewhat peeved. He peeked out from behind his canvas within a canvas and frowned.

"Hrrrmph. I haven't seen you or the lass recently."

Tamblin looked at the Portrait.

"I'm sorry Phausto. This year has been... difficult. Have you heard about the Chamber of Secrets?"

"Indeed I have. The Bread Baker on the third floor told me. He was always a gossip. I shouldn't have used so much orange in his pigmentation. Orange things talk too much."

"I'd like to get into the studio."

The Portrait was also a doorway from the Artiste's Alcove into a painting studio. Presumably the other three paintings in the Alcove also held rooms behind them dedicated to their artistic disciplines: poetry, dance, and music. The painting studio was the only one he and Cascata had figured out how to enter. The only other people who seemed to know the Alcove existed were a couple of older Gryffindor twins. He was pretty sure they hadn't managed to get into any of the adjoining room. Mostly they just stashed things in a corner of the alcove. Tamblin and Cascata left their stuff alone as the twins had quite a reputation around the school.

Phausto sighed.

"Very well."

The painting opened like a door. The room beyond was exactly the one in the painting itself minus the artist. The reverse side of the painting also showed Phausto; this time the background showed the Alcove. Tamblin moved to the back of the room where the Alchemirand stood. He and Cascata had discovered its use last year, with Phausto's help.

He poured the small amount of potion from his vial into the bowl of the Alchemirand. It began to shake slightly and the small portion expanded to fill the large bowl to the top. Tamblin rummaged through the cabinets until he found several clean jugs. He filled these from the Alchemirand. Once he had an ample supply he pressed the knob on the side of the bowl and the remaining potion seemed to evaporate. He took the jugs and stored all but one in the cabinets behind various painting supplies.

The final jug he took with him as he left. Back in his room he filled a large number of vials from the jug. These he tucked away for the moment.


	39. Chapter 39

It was a few days before he saw Nott again. Tamblin was pressing Nott's queenside defenses.

"You know this might not be the best idea for you," he said.

Tamblin looked at the board.

"I think it's working out nicely, thank you."

"No. I mean being here. Playing chess with me. You think she'll appreciate it?"

Tamblin's eyes narrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

Nott smiled even as he surveyed the wreckage of his chess position.

"You and the Hufflepuff girl seem to be distant of late. Word is she has issues with your family."

"Cascata."

"I know her name. Anyway given the similarities between our backgrounds you might be better off away from me. Maybe spend more time in Herbology."

"You think our families are similar?"

"More than different. Both our families were pawns in the last game. And there are plenty who expect us to be in the next."

"If you have to choose sides in the next game, what will you do?"

Nott looked up at Tamblin. A joy that bordered on madness was written on his face.

"In the next game? To hell with both kings."

He moved a knight deeper into Tamblin's side. He wasn't going to shore up his weak flank.

Tamblin decided it was time.

"So you think it's possible? That when everyone lines up in black or white that you can choose a third way?"

"Why not," said Nott.

"And if you did couldn't you then lead others that way?"

"Why would I want to lead others?"

"Leave that aside for a moment. A third way could become a new pole around which people align, if they were lead that way..."

Nott was intrigued. He nodded.

"Want to prove it?"

Nott's smile was diabolical.

"What did you have in mind?"

"This game plays out here around us in miniature. You've claimed the Heir of Slytherin follows the old Death Eater agenda. They want the students terrorized. Oh, sure, they'll harm some, but the main goal is fear. Dumbledore of course is the other pole. He wants the school to run as it has but more specifically he wants everyone to stand up to the Heir. He wants stoicism which by default means alignment _with_ him."

Nott was nodding.

"So we give them a third choice. But how?"

Tamblin pulled a vial from a cloak pocket.

Nott took it and looked at it but the potion was simply clear and the vial unmarked.

"What is it?"

"A simple calming potion. I have a substantial supply. We offer them to people. If they take them then they are implicitly turning their backs on both black and white. They will be neither afraid nor stoic. With neither the Heir nor Dumbledore."

Nott had a look of genuine respect on his face.

"I wouldn't have given you credit for something like this. I'll have to carefully reconsider my estimation of you. I like it. We have to sell it though, not give it."

"Why? Neither of us is exactly poor."

"That's not the point. There must be a cost. Otherwise there is no reason for people not to take them. Aligning with the Heir requires one to rebel against the system. Aligning with Dumbledore requires the risk of death at the hands of the Heir. For the test to be fair there must be a cost to going our way."

"Alright. How much then?"

"How long does the potion last?"

"I'm not sure. Probably a few hours. You could probably get three doses from a vial."

Nott thought for a moment.

"Let's say 1 galleon each then. Enough that it means something but that doesn't make it utterly unaffordable to the poorer students. Agreed?"

"Agreed."

Tamblin handed Nott a pouch full of vials.


	40. Chapter 40

They decided they needed a code name to refer to the potion by. Nott immediately christened it "grey." Grey caught on quickly. Word of mouth travels faster than owl. After virtually every class Tamblin would stand in the hallway and easily pick out the students who were seeking him. They would be looking for him but trying not to. Their attention was delicious. Often he'd feign the need for secrecy precautions just to prolong the encounter. As he sat in class he felt anticipation building. Class became nothing but the time between contacts.


	41. Chapter 41

Tamblin and Nott were conferring quietly in the library when a hand landed on his shoulder. Tamblin looked up at the big red headed Gryffindor. His twin brother was just behind him.

"Just the lads we were looking for, Fred."

"Indeed they are, George."

Tamblin glanced at Nott but he was a blank slate.

"My brother and I couldn't help but notice that a certain market has sprung up. It's a racket we might be interesting in partnering up with."

"Why is that," Tamblin asked.

"We have some big plans," Fred said.

"Gigantic plans," George concurred.

"But big plans need money to get started," Fred continued.

"Lots of money," George said.

"Besides which we've been very happy with our prior arrangement," Fred said.

Tamblin realized that Fred was subtly reminding him that they could blab about the Alcove all over the school.

"And why would we want partners," Nott asked.

"Because as well as you two have been doing you are not exactly the most social."

"And we know _everybody_."

"Besides which," Fred continued, "Who would be better than us to lead Filch off the track?"

"Especially since he'll assume it was us anyway."

Tamblin looked at Nott. Nott shrugged.

"Very well, I think we can come to an agreement," Tamblin said.

The twins smiled.

"Brilliant choice."

"No," Nott said.

The twins both stared at him.

"Not an agreement. At essence here is chaos, and we are its shepherds. What we will have is a pact. An accord. The Harlequin Accord."

Tamblin smiled as the twins continued to stare.

Tamblin said, "The Harlequin is the clown of chaos. The demon clown. A trickster god of mythology. One who laughs in the ruin. An appropriate choice for us I think."

Tamblin held out his hand.

"An accord."

Nott took it.

"Agreed."

The twins smiled and clasped hands as well.

"Agreed," they said.


	42. Chapter 42

The twins weren't idly boasting. Each of them seemed to sell as much as Tamblin and Nott combined. Tamblin had to retrieve the other jugs from the alcove much sooner than he'd expected. Not that it mattered. He could use the Alchemirand to produce as much as he needed. The teachers must have noticed that several students in each class stared glassy eyed throughout the lesson but they had a bigger problem in the form of the Chamber. The rumors had been replaced by serious talk of the school being closed. The one teacher who seemed to have a suspicion about what was happening was Snape. His response was to become paranoid about his ingredient stores.


	43. Chapter 43

Mandy Brocklehurst slipped him the Galleon as they stood in the hallway near the Charms classroom. He passed her two vials. He'd given her a discount since it was her and Lisa who'd given him a sample of the potion in the first place. He didn't explain the connection but she was glad for the break. She'd been buying a lot of Grey.

Even as she walked away, carefully looking from side to side to make sure no teachers or prefects were nearby, a Gryffindor boy sauntered up. He was trying far too hard to seem casual. As he and Tamblin started to talk Cascata walked by. Tamblin's eyes followed her closely. She tried not to notice Tamblin but he saw her frown.

Tamblin looked back at the Gryffindor. His eyes were bright. He saw Tamblin and would until he'd managed to complete their transaction. Tamblin basked in it like snake in the sunlight.


	44. Chapter 44

"It's too easy," Nott said.

Tamblin looked up from the board.

"I think we may not have made it enough of a challenge. People are buying Grey too readily."

Tamblin looked back at his pinned bishop.

"You want to charge more?"

In his peripheral vision he could see Nott shake his head.

"I think we've shown we can lure them away from either side. Now we need to show that they will follow. They'll obey."

"What are you suggesting?"

"We need to see what they are willing to do," Nott said.


	45. Chapter 45

Tamblin suppressed a mischievous grin and kept his face long.

"I'm sorry, Terry. I can't make any more potion without those Doxy wings."

Terry Boot was one of the Ravenclaws in Tamblin's year. Word was he was from a muggle family and he'd been a regular buyer of grey from Tamblin. He looked ready to jump out of his own shadow.

"But you…"

"Look I'd love to sell you some if I could. But what can I do? I can't sell you what I don't have. And without Doxy wings…"

The wheels were spinning quickly behind Terry's eyes.

"If I find some Doxy wings you could make more?"

"Well yeah, but the only place to get some round here would be Snape's store of ingredients. You think he'd let you have some?"

Terry shook his head.

"No, me either. So we're stuck. Snape's got all of them and he won't let you have any."

"I can get some from him. I'm sure of it."

Tamblin looked at him with faux concern.

"Hey don't do anything crazy now, okay?"


	46. Chapter 46

Tamblin found Nott standing just inside the Great Hall.

"What is it you wanted to show me?"

Nott just touched a finger to his lips and pointed at the Slytherin table.

Two of the older students were obviously arguing. Both of them were big beefy guys that Tamblin recognized as being on the Slytherin Quidditch team. The argument got louder and the first boy reached out and grabbed the other and yanked him across the table. They were soon grappling and fighting as Snape and McGonnogal yelled at them to cease.

Nott leaned closer to Tamblin.

"Flint and Bletchley. I told Pansy that I thought Flint was going to beat me up if I sold any more Grey to the Quidditch team. Bletchley's been buying a ton. He doesn't want anyone to know he's muggle born though. Not a good thing in our house."

"And Pansy told him?"

"Pansy told anyone within earshot. Subtlety isn't one of her graces."

Tamblin smiled.

"And Bletchley, I suppose, is not the type to talk about what's bothering him especially when it is embarrassing. So he broods and eventually picks a fight over something else?"

Nott nodded.

"By the way what happened with Terry Boot?"

"Snape caught him and gave him a month of detention. I told him that while Snape was busy punishing him someone else had snagged some Doxy wings. Gave him a free vial."


	47. Chapter 47

Tamblin followed Hannah down the hallway on the fourth floor. He had noticed her out of place here and wondered what she was doing. She stood waiting outside the Transfiguration classroom looking alternately worried and guilty. The class emptied out of Gryffindors and Slytherins. Hannah seemed to be waiting for someone. Trailing after most of his peers Nott came out of the classroom and noticed Hannah immediately. Together they walked down the hall. Tamblin withdrew into himself and followed. It was all too clear exactly what was going on.

When they reached a private place Hannah was about to buy a vial of grey. Tamblin swooped down on them. He threw Nott up against the wall and held him there.

He snarled at Hannah, "Get out of here. Now."

Hannah squealed and took off. Nott was shocked at Tamblin's sudden appearance but recovered quickly.

Calmly he said, "Was that really necessary? And would you mind letting go?"

Tamblin gripped the front of his robe tighter.

"Not her. Or Susan. Or Cascata. Ever. Understand?"

Nott tilted his head.

"Why?"

"Why?" Tamblin's voice was harsh.

"Yes, Tamblin. What makes them any different? If you don't want me to sell to them that's fine with me, but I'll know why first."

Tamblin's anger was displaced by confusion. Why did it matter to him so much? Nott was watching him as his emotions churned. Tamblin let go of his robes. Nott straightened his clothes out.

Tamblin growled again but without much vigor.

"Just leave them alone."

Nott shrugged.

"Like I said, it makes no difference to me. The question of why remains."

Tamblin left without answering because he had none to give.


	48. Chapter 48

The next day in the library Hannah found him.

"Hi, Tamblin." She sounded nervous and looked like she was ready to bolt if he was still angry.

Tamblin tried to seem natural despite his continuing confusion.

"Hello, Hannah."

"I'm sorry I haven't seen you much recently."

"It's okay. I prefer that you are there for Cascata. How is she?"

"She's alright. Um, I wanted to ask you something…"

"What is that?"

"Well you know why I was talking to Nott. He says now that he can't sell anything to me. And the Weasley twins said they'd promised you not to sell to me either…"

"Hannah…"

"I just need something to help me sleep. It's so scary. Nobody knows who is going to get attacked next. Some kids have been pulled out of classes, but some people say they weren't pulled out, they were eaten and the ministry is covering it up. I have the most terrible dreams."

Her eyes were wet. She knelt down next to Tamblin's chair and grabbed his hand.

"I know I haven't been a good friend to you recently and I'm so sorry. Please, Tamblin."

Tamblin looked down at her. She laid her head on his hand and he could feel the tears.

And a part of him was thrilled.

Hannah was vulnerable and he could use her to get to Susan and Cascata. He could manipulate them all into being dependent upon him. They would _see_ him. He could do it. Hannah was pliable enough through her fear. Susan and Cascata were vulnerable though their almost blind loyalty. He could make them _all_ pawns.

He jerked his hand away from Hannah as though burned. She stared up at him with obvious fright. His stomach heaved and his chair tipped over as he lurched to his feet and away from her.

"Hannah," he fought to keep his voice calm, 'listen to me carefully. I am very sick. You need to stay away from me right now. I can't be trusted. This is important. You have to stay away from me."

Hannah stared without comprehension.

"But will you…"

"No I won't. Don't… ask me again. Please. Now go. Go back to your real friends. Go back to them and they'll keep you safe. I… can't."

Tamblin fled from her. He ran away from how she had made him feel. Away from what he was capable of.


	49. Chapter 49

Tamblin found Nott waiting for their usual game of wizard's chess.

Nott looked up at Tamblin with a certain amount of surprise. Tamblin looked awful.

"What happened to you," Nott asked.

"I want to stop."

"I'm sorry, what?"

Tamblin swallowed.

"It was my idea but I want to stop it now."

"Okay."

"That… that's it? Okay? You don't care?"

"My interest was in proving my point, remember? I think we've done that adequately. Honestly the actual process was getting a bit tedious."

Tamblin sighed. He had worried that Nott would be difficult.

"Of course the twins may be another issue."

As if Nott's statement had been a cue Fred and George appeared. They wore a pair of ill fitting sheepish looks.

"We've been thinking,' started George.

"Maybe we should quit while ahead," continued Fred.

Nott and Tamblin said nothing.

"It's not that we don't enjoy the racket."

"It is just that our birthday is coming up and if Mom or Dad find out it's the last one."

Nott looked grim.

"Well if you are sure you feel that way. I can't say this isn't a disappointment."

Tamblin almost laughed with relief but he stifled it and said, "I see. There's no point trying to talk you out of it?"

The twins shook their heads. It looked like doing the right thing was physically paining them.

Tamblin reached into his robe.

"Well, Nott and I were very impressed with your initiative. I'd like to give you a small parting bonus. To help with those grand dreams of yours."

The pouch he tossed them held almost all the money he'd made off of selling Grey. The twins looked at it in shock. They clearly knew that things were not happening the way they should but had no way to figure out the truth of the matter.

After the twins were out of earshot Nott started laughing vigorously and Tamblin couldn't resist joining in. The simple mirth was like a refreshing bath. He could feel how sick he'd been only in retrospect.

They decided to skip the chess game. Tamblin made his way to the Alcove and emptied all the remaining Grey into the Alchemirand and then pushed the stud to make it evaporate.

And just when he thought the matter was resolved the note arrived summoning him to see Dumbledore.


	50. Chapter 50

Tamblin was beginning to envy the other students who saw the headmaster only at school events and feasts. Tamblin ascended the moving stairs and stood outside the door to Dumbledore's office. It wasn't until he actually raised his hand to knock that Dumbledore's voice called out to him.

Tamblin entered the now familiar office.

"Ah, yes. Good afternoon Tamblin."

Dumbledore's voice betrayed no anger. Tamblin cautiously took the seat facing the desk and waited.

"There is a matter we have yet to discuss. One that may be becoming quite urgent."

Tamblin braced himself.

"Of course it revolves around your mother."

"What," Tamblin blurted out.

Dumbledore looked at Tamblin over his spectacles.

"Was there some other issue you thought we had better discuss?"

"No, Headmaster."

"Very well then, we have previously talked about your mother's life at school and afterward, at least as much as we can piece together. There remains a final issue."

Tamblin's mind started working quickly to catch up.

"Her death?"

"Yes, Tamblin. The question of what happened to her. We have ample reason, as mentioned before, to believe she was alive immediately after the unfortunate incident in which your father died. Shortly after that she was gone."

"So what happened?"

"I very much doubt anyone will ever know for certain but I have a theory of sorts. Would you be interested in hearing it?"

"Yes. Please."

"From what I have discovered about the magic your mother learned from Voldemort there are complications. The person gains the ability to disappear utterly but there is a danger in that they can go too far. They can be lost entirely to the world."

"When I tried on the cloak I dreamed that the world faded away. Everything was ghostly. And I never tired or breathed or ate…"

Dumbledore was watching him.

"How do breathing and eating enter into it, Tamblin?"

"When I withdraw I don't get tired very fast, and I have very little appetite. The more I withdraw the less I need to live."

Dumbledore nodded.

"I suspect that when the cloak enhanced your abilities you had that vision as a sort of subconscious warning. You are in danger of your mother's fate."

"What happened to my mother then? She'd been trained to use the magic."

"From what I've discovered the adepts of this ability have an anchor. A person who serves to help them keep in touch with the world. Someone who sees them. If that person dies then they are in grave risk of being lost."

Tamblin nodded now.

"My father. He was her anchor." Tamblin gave up a harsh laugh. "Well she may have made a fool of the Wizengamot but the ministry it would seem had the last laugh. Two birds. One stone."

Dumbledore started to say something but Tamblin cut him off.

"Forget I said it. I'm the last person who deserves to judge others right now. Alright, so I need an anchor?"

"Sooner or later, yes. I suspect that with the way your abilities have been growing that it should be sooner to be safe. Otherwise you will likely suffer symptoms and eventually disappear entirely."

"Symptoms like alienation, violent temper, addiction to attention, mood swings, and antisocial behavior?"

Dumbledore looked pensive.

"I think you are right and sooner would be _much_ better. Only there is a problem."

"What is that, Tamblin?"

"She won't see me. We both know who it has to be. Thank you for the information, Headmaster. I'll see what I can do."

Dumbledore dipped his head slightly and Tamblin left.


	51. Chapter 51

Tamblin felt trapped. On every side there was horror waiting to consume him. If he followed his nature and withdrew he'd become unstable and possibly disappear utterly.

The Accord though had proven that there were dangers besides disappearing. He needed attention. Needed it the way people need food or air but it could twist him if he wasn't careful. He was standing on a precipice, each stiff wind threatened his balance.

To make matters worse Tamblin was too embarrassed by his actions to spend time with Nott. Slowly but surely he'd become isolated from everyone. In desperation he started sitting with Lisa in Herbology. Cascata wouldn't see it there. Lisa seemed surprised but pleased. Tamblin was quietly grateful for her notice.

Tamblin spent most of this time trying to figure how to approach Cascata. That and explaining to people that there was no more Grey to be bought, nor would there be in the future.

The funny thing is that she actually approached him before he'd come up with anything.


	52. Chapter 52

The Hufflpuff vs. Gryffindor Quidditch game ended up being canceled. Tamblin had been heading down to the pitch to see if he could see Cascata. The anonymity of the crowd would be a good place to watch her from. He'd thought maybe it'd help spark some idea of how to get back into her good graces. Instead the students were heading back up from the pitch toward the castle looking mostly irritated or somber.

Tamblin was stuck. There was a crowd but he stood out as the only one heading toward the pitch. He should have turned around and merged with the crowd but he was just so tired. All he could do was watch it coming. When Cascata saw him she actually started walking toward him instead of looking away. As she approached Tamblin felt the pain of her absence. She started to walk past him when she reached out and tugged on his sleeve.

"Come on," she said simply.

Tamblin turned around to follow her up to the castle. She led him silently through the castle and through the library to the Alcove. Inside she finally turned and looked at him.

"It was a nice thing you did," she said.

Tamblin tried to figure out what she was referring to.

"…for Hannah," Cascata prompted.

Tamblin shook his head.

"I don't deserve any credit for that. I finally found the limit to how far I'd let myself sink."

Cascata frowned.

"I don't understand. We knew something was wrong with Hannah but she wouldn't tell us. Then she came back to the dorm in tears. She couldn't help blurting out everything. Including how you saved her from herself."

Tamblin held up his hand.

"Please. The only thing she was saved from was me. Your instincts were right…"

"Tamblin, shut up! I want to finish telling you how great you are."

Tamblin gaped for a second.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say it was really nice of you." Tamblin started to open his mouth and Cascata glared at him until he closed it again. "I had a hard time handling… things… about your past. But they aren't about you. It's not even really about your family. It's about mine. Stuff I need to work through and I couldn't do that around you. Because… because you were complicating things for me and they were already complicated enough."

She sighed.

"Well I think I'm about ready to start being around you again. I mean assuming you still want to. I'm really sorry you got abandoned. I hope you know it wasn't that I wanted to, I just needed some time away."

Tamblin nodded.

"Okay, that's all I wanted to say. I'm going to go now. McGonnogal said we were all supposed to head back to our common rooms for some announcement. I'll see you in class, okay?"

Before she could go Tamblin stepped up next to her. She resisted for just a moment before leaning in close and hugging him.

"It isn't all fixed yet," Tamblin said.

"No, but it's getting better," she said. Then she left.


	53. Chapter 53

When Tamblin entered the Ravenclaw common room through the suit of armor near the library he found the room melancholy. Flitwick stood on a table and was addressing questions from his house students.

Tamblin slipped up to Lisa.

He whispered, "What's going on?"

Lisa looked startled.

"You didn't hear? Penelope Clearwater got attacked. Do you know her? She's in her fifth year."

Tamblin was pretty sure he'd seen her around the common room.

"The prefect, right?"

"Yeah that's her. She wasn't the only one. A Gryffindor girl got attacked too. Both petrified. Flitwick says we aren't allowed to go anywhere alone anymore. We have to have a teacher escort us if we even want to go to the bathroom."

Tamblin looked around the room. Everyone looked worried. Flitwick no less than the students.


	54. Chapter 54

At breakfast the next morning everyone was talking about how Dumbledore had been sacked by the governors of the school. Other rumors floated around as well. Some said that Hagrid had been part of opening the chamber and had been taken to Azkaban. Others say he'd fought off the Aurors who came for him and escaped into the dark forest.

Tamblin had mixed feelings. While he and Dumbledore had often been at odds this year he also felt a certain pang of worry. There was no doubt that Dumbledore had helped Tamblin, whatever his motives. Without his influence Tamblin would have to be more careful.

He looked over often at the Hufflpuff table. Cascata sometimes looked back. She smiled. Hannah wouldn't meet his eyes. She seemed embarrassed. Susan waved once, quickly, so that neither of the other two noticed.


	55. Chapter 55

Classes were more tense and somber than ever but Tamblin didn't care. Cascata had taken to sitting with him again. Things were awkward but more and more often she'd smile with genuine warmth. Or they'd share a joke. He'd forgotten how good her attention made him feel. It was pure and sweet and nourishing in a way. It felt like being on a good diet after eating nothing but junk food for months.

After a Charms class but before Flitwick walked the students out Hannah pulled Tamblin over to one side of the classroom. She still looked embarrassed.

"Thanks…"

Tamblin groaned.

"I _really_ don't deserve any thanks," he protested.

"Well, thank you anyway. I can't believe how I was acting."

"Hannah it wasn't your fault, it was mine. _Entirely_."

Tamblin put his hand on her arm. She seemed relieved. She stood up on her tip toes and kissed his forehead. Then she went over to where the other girls were carefully looking away.


	56. Chapter 56

Professor Sprout was watching over the students in the Great Hall. Tamblin doubted how effective she'd be if there was an attack. Picturing her facing down those yellow eyes made him laugh. Rather than their normal place on the fifth floor Nott had staked out a place here. He looked up from a book he was reading when Tamblin approached.

"I'm surprised to see you," Nott said.

It was tempting for Tamblin to simply shun Nott and try to forget about the Accord. He decided, however, that that was the wrong answer. Nott had been true, in his way, to Tamblin.

Tamblin pointed to the board in front of Nott. The black pieces were already set up.

"Want a game?"

"Very well."

As the opening gambits played out Tamblin found himself struggling with the words he wanted to say.

"I'm sorry for... missing the last few games."

Nott sighed.

"Tamblin, we are peers. Not friends. We play our games because they intrigue us, not because we are obligated. You and I have obligations enough due to our positions without placing more on each other."

Tamblin took that as Nott's way of saying he was forgiven. The game continued in a comfortable silence.


	57. Chapter 57

Classes continued and the students shuffled fearfully from one to the other under constant guard by the staff. Then in the space of one day everything changed. McGonnogal announced that morning that mandrakes were nearly ready to revive the petrified students (and cat). But later that day the students were once more sent back to their common rooms. Another attack but this time the student had been taken. And a new message from the Heir had appeared.

Tamblin fumed. Despite their precautions the Heir continued to attack the students. He sat and brooded and fumed until the others were asleep, then Tamblin slipped out of the common room. He would do something about it if the supposed guardians of the school couldn't. He was withdrawn and the harlequin abandon was coming on him.

He raced through the hallways, dodging past prefects and teachers as they searched. They couldn't see him. He went to the place he'd found the first message from the Heir. Sure enough a new line was added:

 _HER SKELETON WILL LIE IN THE CHAMBER FOREVER_

Tamblin stared at this for a while. It was a gambit. He closed his eyes and tried to see the chessboard.

It occurred to Tamblin then that he'd been in place to know who it was that first time. After the beast had seen him and chosen not to kill him he'd seen someone coming. Whoever it was had been the one to hang up the cat to be found by others.

He could have finished this. But he was too wrapped up in his own issues. Some girl was going to die because of that. He moved on to see if he'd have another chance to undo his error.

On the main staircase he was surprised to see Dumbledore in conversation with Professor McGonnogal. Tamblin followed Dumbledore and McGonnogal as they walked slowly down the stairs. They approached the main gate where they waited and conversed only tersely. The gate opened. Filch entered followed by a man and a woman.

The woman Tamblin didn't know but the man was the same red haired Ministry of Magic official that had arrested Tamblin. Both looked haggard with puffy eyes.

Dumbledore spoke in soothing tones, "Arthur, Molly, I want you to know that we are doing everything possible. There is no reason to give up hope as of yet."

The woman burst into fresh tears. The man, clearly her husband stepped forward. He was also having trouble keeping control and his voice was strained with the effort of it.

"We both very much appreciate you coming back for this Professor Dumbledore. If anyone can help our Ginny-"

At the name the woman sobbed twice as loud and McGonnogal made an effort to console her.

"-if anyone can help us out now, we know it's you."

"Minerva, may we use your office?"

"Of course. Molly, Arthur, this way."

Tamblin shrank back as the four passed him. He felt for a second the slightly nauseous feeling he usually got when Dumbledore noticed him. He trailed a little ways behind them. The appearance of the Ministry man, 'Arthur,' was a bit of a shock for him. He'd not expected to see him again much less under circumstance in which he was so... vulnerable and human. Their pain was so raw it was infectious.

Tamblin found himself considering his own losses. Dimly he could recall the loss of his father. The grief of it when he was young and the process of adapting to his new responsibilities. But not his mother. The power had soothed her passing so that he had felt nothing, he'd simply forgotten she should be around. It had robbed him of any chance and any ability to grieve her.

McGonnogal held the door to her office open for the others and Tamblin slipped past her into the room as well.

Molly had subsided into a constant but hushed series of sobs. Arthur stood near Dumbledore like he meant to ask a question but couldn't bring himself to say it. McGonnogal sat behind her desk and looked uncomfortable. Her stony manner wasn't well suited to scenes of such intimacy.

"You don't have any children do you Professor," Arthur asked Dumbledore.

"No. Only a brother."

"Ah. Well."

The wife stopped crying and looked around the room with an eerie calm.

"Oh Arthur, our little girl is gone."

"Possibly not," Tamblin said.


	58. Chapter 58

Molly screamed as though she thought Tamblin's sudden appearance meant she'd lost her mind. Arthur gaped and then gaped wider as he realized he knew the boy who'd appeared. McGonnogal started to rise from behind her desk with a look of mixed shock and offense. Only Dumbledore seemed to accept Tamblin's appearance with easy grace.

McGonnogal had some trouble expressing her displeasure.

"W-wha- how- Mr. Demosthene what are you doing here? All students were to return to their common rooms. It is after curfew _and how did you get in here_?"

But Dumbledore lifted a hand and Professor McGonnogal stayed her lecture before it could really get going.

Once the wife was sure that she wasn't the only one to have seen a boy appear out of nowhere she quickly moved over to Tamblin. She gripped his hands with her own. She looked at him with an intensity that staggered him.

"You know something? Something about my dear little Ginevra?"

Arthur though was looking at Tamblin with suspicion and put his hands on her shoulders to pull her away. Molly was reluctant to go but slowly moved. Her arms stretched out to keep hold of Tamblin's as long as possible.

Dumbledore said, "Did you have something you wanted to tell us, Tamblin?"

"Yes, Headmaster. If we consider things in terms of chess..."

McGonnogal started to object but Dumbledore held up his hand again.

"Go on."

"Well, the Heir of Slytherin has an agenda. If we understand his goals we can try to see the gambits for what they are."

Arthur still looked suspicious but now intrigued as well.

"What are you playing at?"

Tamblin turned to him.

"Your daughter was taken. But why? The other students were all petrified and left. But she was taken away. If the goal was simply to kill her then we would have just found her body-"

Molly moaned loudly and Tamblin hurried on.

"-So the goal was not to kill her." He turned to McGonnogal. "Professor you announced this morning that the mandrake was ready and you openly said you expected the victims to be able to identify the Heir. Not the beast but the Heir."

He turned back to the grieving parents.

"She wasn't just taken. A note was left to carefully explain to us that she had been taken and to make sure we knew she was in mortal peril. Why? There is only one logical conclusion."

Tamblin turned back toward Dumbledore.

"It's a trap. The girl is a lure. The Heir believes he is about to be revealed and he means to either lure those capable of revealing him to their doom or to make his loss as painful as possible to his enemies."

Dumbledore exchanged looks with Professor McGonnogal who brusquely left the office. Tamblin turned back to the parents.

"So, at least while she has value as bait, it is likely your daughter is still alive."

Arthur spoke up, "I hope you are right."

"The only question is who the trap was meant to ensare. Since it's brought both of you and Dumbledore here to the castle I can only assume it's one or all of you. You may be in grave danger."

At this Dumbledore finally interrupted.

"You reasoning is quite sound, Tamblin, but I suspect your final conclusion to be in error. I think a trap was laid, but not for myself or Arthur or Molly."

Tamblin tried to think of whom else but no other seemed reasonable.

"Who then, Headmaster?"

The door opened and Professor McGonnogal came back in.

"He's gone. As is Ronald."

Dumbledore nodded and the mother broke into yet more sobs.

"So the trap has been set and its intended prey have taken the bait." He turned to Molly and Arthur. "But traps sometimes confound their creators rather than their victims."

Arthur nodded but looked far from convinced.


	59. Chapter 59

Everyone became quiet for a while, lost in their own thoughts. Tamblin moved over to Professor Dumbledore and spoke in a hushed whisper.

"Headmaster, I can help."

"And how would you do that, Tamblin?"

"I've seen this thing and survived. I can... I can..."

"How will you find Ms. Weasley? Do you know where the Chamber of Secrets lies?"

Tamblin thought hard.

"No. But I can do something. I..."

"You have a great and in some ways terrible gift, Tamblin. But you cannot do simply anything with it. No magic is that powerful and, as hard as it may be to face at times like this, it is a mercy that none of us is faced with the responsibility of that much power."

"Headmaster, please. I must do _something_. I could have stopped this before..."

Tamblin looked at the Weasley parents as they hugged each other in their pain.

"...before it came to this. I owe you a boon. Ask me for it. You must know of some way ... of something... I can _help_."

Dumbledore looked at him somberly.

"You have helped, Tamblin. You brought them both a tiny measure of hope. That is a great gift at such a time. The rest I'm afraid will be up to others."

Tamblin lapsed into silence and then slowly, bit by bit he withdrew his presence from the room. He would slip out at his first opportunity and then he'd find some way to make things right. He moved next to the doorway and was about to ease the door open when a knock was heard. The door opened a second later and there stood four people covered in filth. Professor Lockhart looked dazed and confused and his carefully curled hair was caked with gunk. Tamblin recognized the two Gryffindor boys though he only knew Potter's name. With them was a red haired girl. Tamblin flowed past them and as he did his hand reached out to touch her hair. The girl that had lived in spite of his foolishness.

As he made his silent path back to the Ravenclaw common room he thought again about the loss of his father and mother. He realized that if he suffered his mother's fate then none of he people here, not even Cascata, would remember him. He would simply cease to be, un-mourned and un-remembered.


	60. Chapter 60

Tamblin lead Cascata out onto one of the battlements. It was nearing sunset and the sky was plumed like some jungle bird.

"Okay so what did we need to talk about?"

Tamblin looked at Cascata. Her skin looked even more like bronze in this light.

"I need your help."

"With what, Tamblin?"

"You know how people tend to not notice me? How I can be invisible to them?"

"Yeah…"

"It's something… something I inherited. From my mother. She learned this power and it somehow passed on to me."

Cascata looked concerned.

"Nobody really knows much about how it works. Dumbledore told me what little he has figured out."

He paused.

"And," she prompted him.

"And one of the concerns is that a person who has this ability needs a way to stay anchored in the real world. Otherwise they kind of drift and lose themselves. First mentally, then totally."

"Totally?"

"As in gone. Vanished. Never to return."

"Okay. So what do you need for this anchor?"

"I need some _one_."

Cascata looked a little shocked.

"What?"

"I need someone who sees me. Someone I trust beyond all others. Someone who can be there for me, to help me be stable."

Cascata walked a few steps away and then turned back.

"Tamblin, have you paid any attention this year? Trust and stability aren't words that leap to mind."

Tamblin stepped toward her and reached out to take her hand.

"It has to be you. You are the only one I'd want. The only one I'd trust for it. I need _you_."

Cascata put her other hand up to her lips. Her eyes closed. She took a deep breath. Her other hand squeezed Tamblin's.

Her voice was faint, almost wistful.

"Ask me."

"Will you?"

"Yes."

They watched the sunset for a while before she spoke again.

"What do you need me to do?"

"Just see me, I think. Notice me."

"Always have."

They lapsed into silence again until it was time for dinner.


End file.
